Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department consulted (a) SEND advocacy organisations and (b) education professionals prior to the launch of its recent campaign featuring Gemma Collins.
Answered by Paul Waugh - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The interview with Gemma Collins was not subject to consultation with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) advocacy organisations or education professionals prior to publication.
The department does not consult on every interview we publish. The content was specifically focused on post-16 vocational pathways and was designed to reach young people who may feel disconnected from traditional academic routes. It was a single interview published to coincide with an announcement on regional funding for apprenticeships and our plans for the transition to V Levels.
The department takes the concerns of SEND families extremely seriously. Before publishing the ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ white paper, we held a national conversation involving thousands of conversations and over 200 engagement events, meetings and roundtables across the country. Ministers continue to hold regular meetings with campaigners and disabled children's organisations.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the potential impacts of SATs on a) children with SEND, b) looked-after children and c) those eligible for free school meals.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Statutory tests and assessments at primary school help measure the attainment of pupils in relation to the standards set out in the national curriculum and help teachers and parents identify where pupils may need additional support in a certain subject area. Key stage 2 tests are subject to robust test development processes, which include reviews involving serving teachers and experts in special educational needs and trials with hundreds of year 6 pupils. Where appropriate, schools can use a range of access arrangements to ensure that pupils with specific needs can access the tests.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of Special Educational Needs Coordinators' access to training and professional development required to meet the expectations for participation in senior leadership teams.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs), introduced in 2024, ensures SENCOs receive high-quality, evidence-based training. This includes equipping them with the skills and capability to work alongside leaders to deliver inclusive practice. In 2024/25 there were 9,725 funded starts. As set out in the SEND reform: Putting Children and Young People First consultation, we will revise the NPQ to reflect their role in the reformed system subject to the outcomes of that consultation.
On 16 January 2026, the government also announced a new training package, backed by £200 million of new funding, to ensure that all education staff and leaders can be trained to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) alongside SENCOs. This includes an initial package of materials to be published in September 2026, which will help school leaders explain SEND reform to staff. Further materials will help leaders with creating a strong universal provision including pedagogy, school environment and working with parents. Beyond this, delivery of flexible training courses to help teachers, leaders, teaching assistants and support staff to deliver inclusive education will begin in Autumn 2027.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions her Department has had with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the role of the NHS in delivering healthcare to pupils in school settings.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Schools are not responsible for clinical healthcare tasks. Healthcare tasks can be delegated to staff in schools and other education settings where the responsible healthcare professional considers delegation safe and appropriate.
The Department for Education and the Department for Health and Social Care are working closely to produce guidance on clinical healthcare in schools.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to SEND reforms, what provisions will be made for home-educated children with SEND and children with Emotionally Based School Avoidance (EBSA).
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: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to SEND reforms, what assessment she has made of the potential administrative burden on teachers under the new system.
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: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the support available to schools for hockey provision.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Schools play a vital role in giving many pupils their first experience of playing sport, including hockey, in a structured and inclusive environment. This government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity so that every child can access high quality physical education and school sport.
That is why, in June 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister announced a new approach to PE and school sport, focused on building strong partnerships between schools, local clubs and National Governing Bodies of sport, such as England Hockey, to support greater participation and physical activity.
National Governing Bodies provide valuable resources, workforce development and teacher support to help schools deliver high‑quality sporting opportunities, both within the PE curriculum and through enrichment activity. The department is preparing to procure a national partner to lead the new PE and School Sport Partnerships, which will provide an opportunity to regularly assess the adequacy of support available to schools across PE and school sport, including hockey provision.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of removing the wear and tear allowance on (a) the finances of childminders and (b) early years and childcare provision in Chichester constituency.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
Under HMRC’s ‘Making Tax Digital’ system, childminders can still claim tax relief for things they buy, repair, or replace for their business, such as furniture, equipment, and household items. This change standardises the way that sole traders record and claim business expenses and means that any business expenses related to childminding will be included in childminder’s tax calculations.
We are however aware of the strength of feeling amongst childminders and those who work with them. We have been talking regularly to Coram Pacey, HMRC and others to understand the issue, the effect that it is having on the childminding sector and to make sure that the concerns of childminders are clearly understood. The department continues to support childminders, who provide high-quality and flexible early education in a way that families across the country greatly value.
The expansion to 30 hours per week of government funded childcare will save families using their full entitlement up to £7,500 per eligible child per year, compared to paying for it themselves.
Thanks to the hard work of early years providers and local authorities, over half a million children have already benefitted from the expansion of 15 funded hours for children aged nine months to two years old, and many parents have increased their working hours, boosting family income and lifting more children out of poverty.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in the context of SEND reforms, how her Department plans to implement identification of special education needs in children younger than five years old; and how early intervention will be enacted.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
We are consulting on proposals to reform the special educational needs and disabilities system, including strengthening early identification and support in early years settings. We also propose introducing a fast track for a Specialist Provision Package for children under 5 whose needs are complex and identified at an early stage and to work with the Department for Health and Social Care and NHS England on these proposals, including improving information sharing between health professionals and local authorities.
We have already made the commitment that Every Best Start Family Hub will have a Best Start Inclusion Practitioner, who is a dedicated professional who works across hubs and outreach sites to support early identification and support children with emerging needs, particularly those aged 0 to 5.
Together, these reforms will mean children’s needs will be identified earlier, gaps will be closed sooner, and more children will make strong progress in line with our Best Start in Life ambition.
Asked by: Jess Brown-Fuller (Liberal Democrat - Chichester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to expand supported internships to further education students on individual support plans.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is consulting on proposals to reform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, and you can access the consultation here: https://consult.education.gov.uk/send-strategy-division/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-firs/. We are considering the impact of the proposed reforms on specific programmes including supported internships.
We are already piloting supported internships for young people with SEND who do not have education, health and care plans. We have seen positive outcomes from the pilot and have recently announced that we are investing £9 million to continue this for a further year. The pilot is being evaluated and this learning will inform future policy development.
Supported Internships remain a proven pathway to employment for young people furthest from the labour market, with thousands of high-quality opportunities now available across the country with a range of employers, following significant investment.