Asked by: Jen Craft (Labour - Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Every child achieving and thriving White Paper, published 23 February 2026, what plans she has for the future funding of local authority sensory support teams.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department will introduce a nationally consistent set of Specialist Provision Packages for children and young people with the most complex needs, including those children with sensory support needs. The packages will outline the specialist provision and workforce required to meet those needs consistently across the country.
A national cost framework for these packages will also be developed. Local authorities will be expected to commission placements in line with this framework, whether in specialist provision within mainstream settings, special or alternative provision schools, or other settings, including the independent sector.
As set out in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) consultation, the earliest potential implementation of Specialist Provision Packages is from September 2029. Proposals may continue to evolve following analysis of consultation responses and the legislative process. Any new funding arrangements will be subject to future legislation and policy decisions, and we would expect to engage stakeholders and consult on any new funding arrangements in due course.
Alongside this, the department is investing around £1.8 billion over three years for local area partnerships to develop an Experts at Hand offer, designed to help mainstream education settings meet the needs of children and young people with SEND more effectively and inclusively. This includes access to specialist teachers, both local authority-based and those based in specialist or alternative provision settings.
Asked by: Jen Craft (Labour - Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has considered exempting Non-Maintained Specialist Schools from proposed changes to charging and inclusion on approved school list, as set out in the Every child achieving and thriving White Paper, published 23 February 2026.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Non-maintained special schools are approved by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, under section 342 of the Education Act 1996 and provide specialist education for children and young people with special educational needs.
Non-maintained special schools are distinct from independent special schools.
The government intends for the proposed specialist provision packages national cost framework to apply to new state-funded education health and care placements in special schools. The government has separately set out proposals to ensure local authorities can pay a reasonable price for placements in independent special schools. Non-maintained special schools will not be in the scope of this measure.
The government’s consultation ‘Special educational needs and disabilities reform: putting children and young people first’ has now closed. The department is carefully reviewing all responses alongside feedback received through over 200 engagement events held during the 12-week consultation period.
Asked by: Jen Craft (Labour - Thurrock)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether local authorities that provide upfront additional special educational needs and disabilities funding to mainstream schools will continue to be required to provide funding for specialist support services as set out in Chapter 8.1 of the High Needs Funding Operational Guidance.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department will soon publish our response to the consultation on upfront special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) funding for mainstream schools, taking into full consideration the responses we have received.
The consultation has helped to inform the design of a test and learn approach to local authorities providing whole-school, upfront funding for mainstream schools. Upfront funding means mainstream schools receive a share of funding that would otherwise be distributed through top-up funding. From the outset of the consultation, we have been clear that participating local authorities would remain responsible for ensuring children with SEND can access specialist support, in line with section 8.1 of the High Needs Funding Operational Guidance.
The exercise aims to strengthen mainstream schools’ capacity to meet a wider range of needs. With consistent upfront funding, schools can plan early, flexible and responsive support for children with common barriers to learning. Children with more complex needs will continue to receive the specialist support and funding they need.