Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of the provision of multi-sensory impairment teachers.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
It is the responsibility of local authorities, schools, and further education (FE) settings to commission appropriately qualified staff to support the education of children and young people in their area.
To teach a class of pupils with sensory impairments, a teacher is required to hold the relevant mandatory qualification in sensory impairment (MQSI). This is in addition to qualified teacher status (QTS) and must be achieved within three years. Teachers working in an advisory role to support these pupils should also hold the appropriate qualification. To offer MQSIs, providers must be approved by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. There are currently seven providers of the MQSI.
An apprenticeship in sensory impairment has been available since September 2025 and will open up a paid, work-based route into teaching children and young people with sensory impairments. This will improve the supply of those qualified to teach this important cohort and further help to improve their outcomes.
Trainee teachers intending to work as special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) specialists in the FE sector are eligible for a training bursary worth £15,000, tax free. The bursary will again be offered in the 2026/27 academic year. SEND specialist teachers working with learners with sensory impairments are eligible to apply for the bursary.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of taking steps to help ensure that all local authorities employ multi-sensory impairment teachers.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
It is the responsibility of local authorities, schools, and further education (FE) settings to commission appropriately qualified staff to support the education of children and young people in their area.
To teach a class of pupils with sensory impairments, a teacher is required to hold the relevant mandatory qualification in sensory impairment (MQSI). This is in addition to qualified teacher status (QTS) and must be achieved within three years. Teachers working in an advisory role to support these pupils should also hold the appropriate qualification. To offer MQSIs, providers must be approved by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. There are currently seven providers of the MQSI.
An apprenticeship in sensory impairment has been available since September 2025 and will open up a paid, work-based route into teaching children and young people with sensory impairments. This will improve the supply of those qualified to teach this important cohort and further help to improve their outcomes.
Trainee teachers intending to work as special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) specialists in the FE sector are eligible for a training bursary worth £15,000, tax free. The bursary will again be offered in the 2026/27 academic year. SEND specialist teachers working with learners with sensory impairments are eligible to apply for the bursary.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve recruitment and retention of multi-sensory impairment teachers.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
It is the responsibility of local authorities, schools, and further education (FE) settings to commission appropriately qualified staff to support the education of children and young people in their area.
To teach a class of pupils with sensory impairments, a teacher is required to hold the relevant mandatory qualification in sensory impairment (MQSI). This is in addition to qualified teacher status (QTS) and must be achieved within three years. Teachers working in an advisory role to support these pupils should also hold the appropriate qualification. To offer MQSIs, providers must be approved by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education. There are currently seven providers of the MQSI.
An apprenticeship in sensory impairment has been available since September 2025 and will open up a paid, work-based route into teaching children and young people with sensory impairments. This will improve the supply of those qualified to teach this important cohort and further help to improve their outcomes.
Trainee teachers intending to work as special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) specialists in the FE sector are eligible for a training bursary worth £15,000, tax free. The bursary will again be offered in the 2026/27 academic year. SEND specialist teachers working with learners with sensory impairments are eligible to apply for the bursary.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to introduce a standardised national framework for supporting children with SEND.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
We are aware of the challenges in the SEND system and understand how urgently they need to be addressed.
We will build a better system which is grounded in evidence, identifies and supports need at the earliest opportunity, and ensures families can secure support swiftly without a fight.
We are continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children get the outcomes and life chances they deserve.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to put the SEN support arrangements on a statutory footing.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.
We are aware of the challenges in the SEND system and understand how urgently they need to be addressed.
We will build a better system which is grounded in evidence, identifies and supports need at the earliest opportunity, and ensures families can secure support swiftly without a fight.
We are continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children get the outcomes and life chances they deserve.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the recently announced £15,000 bursary for SEND-specialist teacher trainees will include those training to become multi-sensory impairment teachers.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department recently announced that the further education (FE) initial teacher education bursaries programme will continue to be available for the 2026/27 academic year. Eligible subjects include special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), with bursaries worth £15,000 each, tax free.
The SEND bursary is intended to support new teachers training to work with learners with a wide range of SEND in FE settings. This could include learners with multi-sensory impairments.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that the progress of children with SEND is accurately measured.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Through the school census, the department collects data on the performance of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities across the country. We use this to routinely publish data on the outcomes of pupils with special educational needs throughout their education, including attainment, absence, exclusions and progression to further and higher education.
The Curriculum and Assessment Review is reviewing how performance measures incentivise behaviour and outcomes for every child. Once the final report is published, the government will respond, including consideration of its recommendations on performance measures.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure provision is available for all disabled children to receive an education in schools rather than at home.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special and alternative provision schools cater to those with the most complex needs.
We expect schools to welcome all pupils, including those with disabilities. The Equality Act 2010 outlines the duties of schools to make reasonable adjustments for disabled children and young people. Settings will be held to account for their support for pupils with disabilities through Ofsted, who are focusing on inclusion in their new approach to inspection.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to financially support parents of children who attend nursery.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
It is the government’s ambition that all families have access to high quality, affordable and flexible early education and care, giving every child the best start in life and delivering on our Plan for Change.
To support parents with the cost of childcare, the department offers:
More information can be found at the new Best Start in Life parent hub: https://www.beststartinlife.gov.uk/.
Asked by: Cameron Thomas (Liberal Democrat - Tewkesbury)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of the increase in nursery fees on the finances of families with nursery-age children.
Answered by Olivia Bailey - Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Department for Education) (Equalities)
In 2025/26, the department plans to provide over £8 billion for the early years entitlements as we roll out their expansion. This represents an additional £2 billion compared to 2024/25.
The government’s roll out of an expansion to the funded hours of childcare working parents are entitled to began in April 2024, and parents have been accessing 30 hours per week from the term after their child turns nine months old since 1 September 2025. This marks the final stage of the rollout and will save eligible families who use their full entitlement £7,500 a year on average.
The government will provide an additional £1.6 billion per year by 2028/29, compared to 2025/26, to continue the expansion of government-funded childcare for working parents.
Additionally, the Universal Credit childcare offer supports claimants with the costs of childcare, no matter how many hours they work. Tax-Free Childcare remains available for working parents of children aged 0-11, or up to 17 for eligible disabled children.