Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take further steps to reform the data collection methodology in order to (a) increase the accuracy and (b) reduce the statistical range in reporting the prevalence of (i) 25% extra time, (ii) use of a computer and (c) other access arrangements in (A) GCSE and (B) A Level entries.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
This is a matter for Ofqual, the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation. I have asked Ofqual’s Chief Regulator, Sir Ian Bauckham CBE, to write directly to the hon. Member for East Hampshire. A copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides on the applicability of Normal Way of Working as a criterion for use of a computer for (a) GCSE and (b) A Level, for pupils who do not have a related physical disability or learning difficulty.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not issue guidance on access arrangements for GCSE, AS or A level examinations. Guidance for access arrangements is set by the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ), which is the membership organisation for the eight largest awarding bodies.
JCQ’s Access Arrangements and Reasonable Adjustments guidance sets out that centres can provide a word processor, with the spelling and grammar check and predictive text switched off, to a candidate where it is their normal way of working within the centre, unless an awarding body’s specification says otherwise.
The guidance makes clear that access arrangements are intended to meet an individual candidate’s needs, and must not be granted solely on the basis of preference or familiarity.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure SEND practitioners receive training on the impact of Armed Forces life on children with additional needs.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
As part of the consultation on the government’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms, I recently attended a roundtable hosted by the Armed Forces Community All-Party Parliamentary Group. I met representatives from armed forces families and the charities that support them to hear first-hand about the challenges they face.
The department recognises that Armed Forces life may present particular challenges for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Our proposed SEND reforms aim to end the postcode lottery and improve quality of support for service children with SEND. For example, through new National Inclusion Standards, a nationally consistent set of Specialist Provision Packages and digital individual support and education, health and care plans.
We are also investing in improved training and recently announced a training package, backed by £200 million of new funding, to ensure every teacher, educator, teaching assistant and leader across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support those with SEND.
Schools receive targeted funding through the Service pupil premium, with over £26 million allocated in 2026/27. The rate increased to £360 per eligible pupil in 2026. Schools can use this funding flexibly to provide additional SEND training for staff.
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Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether Ofsted inspection frameworks take account of how schools support children from Armed Forces families with special educational needs or disabilities.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
This is a matter for His Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Sir Martyn Oliver. I have asked him to write to the hon. Member for East Hampshire directly and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the specialist provision packages mentioned in the SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First consultation on children with complex needs reliant on statutory Education Other Than in School provision.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether in areas with middle schools, a pupil transitioning to Middle school or from Middle school will count as a change in phase of education for the purposes of the EHCP reforms she outlined in February 2026.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether there are any changes of circumstances or residency, other than moving to secondary school or college, which could trigger the ‘change of educational phase’ provisions in the EHCP reforms she outlined in February 2026.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of currently-projected local authorities’ SEND deficits she expects to be covered from the central government funds when the Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027-28.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
We have set out plans to address local authorities’ high needs-related dedicated schools grant deficits up to the end of 2025/26, providing grants to cover 90% of each council’s deficit. Grants will be paid once councils have produced and received approval for a strong plan to drive sustained and energetic action in accordance with the department’s new system set out in the Schools White Paper, which will begin to improve outcomes for children and bring costs under control through effective early intervention stopping needs from escalating.
For deficits that arise in 2026/27 and 2027/28, local authorities can expect that we will continue to take a proportionate approach to such support, though it will not be unlimited. We will set out more details about our approach in due course.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the OBR’s Economic and fiscal outlook November 2025, page 122, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the absorption of SEND provision into existing RDEL limits from 2028-29 on the Core Schools Budget.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
To deliver these reforms, the department is putting more money into the education system, with £7 billion more being spent on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) support compared to 2025/26. The department’s budgets will increase above previously planned funding at Autumn Budget 2025 by £3.5 billion in 2028/29 to support investment in the SEND system. In every year of this parliament, core funding for schools and SEND is expected to increase, subject to future Spending Reviews. As we invest in the system, we will update the SEND Code of Practice and legal requirements for support to be provided in all mainstream education settings from early years to post-16, thereby strengthening the law to make sure children and young people receive the help and support they need.
Asked by: Damian Hinds (Conservative - East Hampshire)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department's estimate of local authorities’ projected SEND deficits in 2028/29 assumes that 6.8% of pupils will have an EHCP in the academic year 2027/8, 7.3% in academic year 2028/9 and 7.7% in academic year 2029/30.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Office for Budget Responsibility, as the independent authority, publishes estimates of future spend.
From 2028/29, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) spending will be covered by the overall government departmental expenditure limit budget, meaning local authorities are not expected to fund future SEND costs from general funds once the Statutory Override ends at the end of 2027/28.