Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training in (a) special educational needs and disabilities and (b) speech, language and communication tutors receive as part of the National tutoring programme.
Answered by Robin Walker
A free online training course focusing on best practice tutoring is available to all school staff who are nominated as tutors by their school leaders. The training is mandatory for any staff who do not hold Qualified Teacher Status.
The curriculum covers core topics including how to adapt tutoring for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
When selecting tuition partners for the current academic year, the programme is inviting applications from providers with relevant experience in working with children with SEND in both mainstream and specialist settings, so that as many pupils as possible can be supported. In total, 26 of the current 41 tuition partners specialise in supporting students with SEND, with more providers being asked to apply as part of the second round of applications. We will be looking to accredit more tuition partners with special needs expertise throughout this year.
Additional weighting has been applied to the funding of special schools and units in recognition of the higher per pupil costs they face for tutoring. For these schools, the department has estimated that a 15 hour package of tuition will cost £705 per pupil, which averages £47 per hour per pupil. The department will subsidise 75% of this, with special schools and units funding the remaining 25% through other budgets.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will have discussion with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the merits of using the NHS Number as a single unique identifier for children.
Answered by Robin Walker
The primary identifiers for education are the unique pupil number for school aged pupils and the unique learner number for post-16 and adult education. These identifiers are developed to provide operational and analytical linkage between departments, and sector facing services, and are essential for delivery of policy and operational analysis both within the department and the wider sector.
However, the department is continually analysing the effectiveness of its unique identifiers for stages in education and will work with colleagues across government, including from the Department of Health and Social Care, on improving the effectiveness of how identifiers contribute to the broader interoperability of data across our shared domains and the life events of citizens. This will include consideration of the merits of greater use of the NHS number as an identifier for children.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to mark Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day on 15 October 2021.
Answered by Will Quince
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) Awareness Day on 15 October 2021 is an important opportunity to raise awareness of DLD. It is key that schools are aware of how to best support pupils diagnosed with DLD.
The department will be highlighting Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day to schools through its communication routes and encouraging settings to draw on best practice to support pupils with DLD.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government's announcement of 3 February 2021 on the appointment of the Education Recovery Commissioner, what plans the Commissioner has to ensure that there is a comprehensive programme of catch-up for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs whose support and learning may have been impacted by school closures during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government is committed to helping children and young people recover education lost as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
In June 2020, the Department announced a catch-up package worth £1 billion, including a ‘Catch Up Premium’ worth a total of £650 million to support schools to make up for lost teaching time and £350 million for the National Tutoring Programme.
In January 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, also committed a further £300 million for tutoring and to engage with parents, pupils and teachers to develop and deliver a plan to help all pupils catch up over the course of this Parliament.
To support the Government with this, the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, have appointed Sir Kevan Collins as the Education Recovery Commissioner. Sir Kevan will advise ministers on the best approach for education recovery, with a particular focus on helping all pupils catch up on learning lost as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
We know that one size does not fit all and will be looking at how interventions can address the individual needs of pupils, including those with speech, language and communication needs.
We will set out more detailed plans in due course.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and (b) Secretary of State for Justice on the recommendation that Government should be levelling up on spending on speech and language therapy around the country as set out in the Children’s Commissioner’s report, Still not safe: The public health response to youth violence, published in February 2021.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Spending on speech and language therapy is determined at a local level.
We do not prescribe in detail how local authorities should allocate their high needs funding, but local authorities and schools have statutory duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those who require speech and language therapies.
The department remains committed to continuous improvement. The cross-government SEND Review was announced in September 2019 and is looking at ways to make sure the SEND system is consistent, high quality, and integrated across education, health, and care. It is also considering measures to make sure that money is being spent fairly, efficiently, and effectively, and that the support available to children and young people is sustainable in the future.
The SEND Review is looking at ways to support mainstream settings to identify and get support to children and young people more quickly, through making best use of precious expertise such as speech and language therapists and educational psychologists. These issues are long-standing and complex, but the government is determined to deliver real, lasting change. We intend to publish the SEND Review in spring 2021.