Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment the Department has made of the potential impact of late or absent identification of dyslexia on the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Effective timely identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. We recognise that special educational needs do not always become apparent in the early years of education, and that needs can emerge, change or become more visible during adolescence as social, emotional and academic demands increase
The Code of Practice makes it clear that we expect teachers to monitor the progress of all pupils and put support in place where needed. Access to targeted educational support should not be dependent on a child or young person having a diagnosis. Instead, evidence-based support should be put in place at the earliest possible point following the identification of a need. This is to ensure that children and young people do not miss out on high-quality teaching and support, which limits progress, confidence, independence, and future life chances.
To support settings, we are strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve timely identification in mainstream settings. The department has appointed an independent expert panel to develop the National Inclusion Standards that set out evidence-informed tools, strategies and approaches for educators to draw on to identify and support children and young people with additional needs.
We are clear that education settings have an ongoing and important role to play in promoting and supporting the mental health and wellbeing of their pupils.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to support local authorities to develop coordinated pathways into education, training and employment for neurodivergent young people.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to ensuring neurodivergent young people and those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have clear, coordinated pathways into education, training and employment. Local authorities have statutory responsibilities to support participation and effective preparation for adulthood.
Through SEND reforms, the department is strengthening transitions between education and adult life, improving information sharing and supporting pathways including apprenticeships and Supported Internships. Youth Guarantee Trailblazers are testing approaches for young people at risk of becoming NEET.
The Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper complements this by strengthening local coordination across skills, employment, health and transport. Post-16 qualification reforms will provide clearer, inclusive routes into further study, apprenticeships and skilled employment, with providers able to tailor support to individual needs. We are also developing technical education routes from age 14, working with Strategic Authorities to create a consistent national framework that can respond to local labour market needs and growth priorities.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase access to work experience, supported internships and pre-apprenticeship provision for young people with dyslexia.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is committed to ensuring that young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including dyslexia, can access high-quality post-16 education and progress into employment, apprenticeships or further study. Providers are expected to make reasonable adjustments and provide tailored support so learners can participate in study and work-related learning.
The department wants every young person to benefit from high-quality, inclusive work experience during secondary education. We are working with the Careers & Enterprise Company and Careers Hubs to help secondary schools and specialist settings increase workplace experiences, including through employer brokerage and SEND-focused resources. In addition, through Jobcentre Plus, eligible young people can access voluntary work experience opportunities, tailored where appropriate to reflect individual needs and circumstances.
Supported internships offer 16 to 24-year-olds with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan a structured work-based study programme, substantial placement and job coach support. In 2026/27, we are testing this model for young people without an EHC plan, backed by up to £9 million.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps the Department is taking to ensure that careers advisers receive training on the challenges experienced by young people with dyslexia and other neurodiverse differences.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Careers adviser qualifications and continuing professional development (CPD) include content on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This helps advisers understand dyslexia and other forms of neurodiversity, identify barriers to learning and progression, work effectively with special educational needs coordinators and other professionals, and provide tailored careers guidance.
To further strengthen support for young people with SEND, the department has commissioned Transform Your Training to develop a series of CPD modules for careers advisers, including a module focused specifically on supporting young people with SEND.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to reduce regional and socioeconomic inequalities in access to diagnostic assessments for neurodivergent differences such as dyslexia and ADHD.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Effective early identification and support are critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those who may have neurodivergent differences such as dyslexia or ADHD.
The SEND Code of Practice is clear that identifying and meeting a child's SEND does not require a diagnostic label. Education settings should identify and respond to needs at the earliest opportunity through a graduated approach, with support determined by a child or young person's needs.
The department is strengthening the education system's ability to identify and meet needs earlier and more consistently through the development of National Inclusion Standards. These will support education settings to provide appropriate support based on need, helping to ensure that children and young people can access support without having to wait for a diagnosis, regardless of where they live.
Furthermore, the department is strengthening its needs-led approach through the new Experts at Hand offer. Backed by £1.8 billion over the next three years, it will give mainstream education settings direct access to specialist expertise without the need for a referral, helping to ensure that all children and young people can access timely support when they need it, based on their identified needs.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the financial barriers for families seeking a diagnostic assessment for dyslexia.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Effective early identification and support are critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those who may have neurodivergent differences such as dyslexia or ADHD.
The SEND Code of Practice is clear that identifying and meeting a child's SEND does not require a diagnostic label. Education settings should identify and respond to needs at the earliest opportunity through a graduated approach, with support determined by a child or young person's needs.
The department is strengthening the education system's ability to identify and meet needs earlier and more consistently through the development of National Inclusion Standards. These will support education settings to provide appropriate support based on need, helping to ensure that children and young people can access support without having to wait for a diagnosis, regardless of where they live.
Furthermore, the department is strengthening its needs-led approach through the new Experts at Hand offer. Backed by £1.8 billion over the next three years, it will give mainstream education settings direct access to specialist expertise without the need for a referral, helping to ensure that all children and young people can access timely support when they need it, based on their identified needs.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of teachers have completed continuing professional development relating specifically to dyslexia in each of the last five academic years.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not hold data on all professional development completed by teachers. Decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rest with schools, headteachers and teachers themselves, as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements.
The department does deliver professional development for teachers to support children and young people with reading difficulties, for which we have information on take up.
For example, ‘Reading Ambition for All’ is a continuous professional development programme delivered by our regional improvement for standards and excellence English Hubs, which is primarily aimed at reading leaders, special educational needs co-ordinators and senior leaders. The programme draws on the latest research on how children learn to read and explores the appropriate teaching, support and provision for the lowest attaining children in reading, with a particular focus on those with special educational needs and disabilities. So far, 1,181 schools have taken part in this programme.
Additionally, the national professional qualification (NPQ) for leading literacy supports leaders of literacy to develop all pupils’ language capability and word reading skills, as well as how to contribute to effective professional development linked to literacy in their own setting. The latest published data shows that over 7000 teachers have taken this NPQ since it was introduced.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to improve joint commissioning between education, health and social care services in delivering support for children with Dyslexia.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England on reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities system, including strengthening joint workforce planning and local commissioning arrangements between education, health and care partners.
As part of this work, the department is delivering the Experts at Hand offer, which will provide schools and settings with access to expert advice and guidance to support the identification and meeting of a range of special educational needs, including dyslexia. The offer is intended to strengthen early identification and promote effective and inclusive practice across education settings.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of making safe sleep training for early years staff mandatory.
Answered by Olivia Bailey
The early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework, which early years providers are required to follow, includes a requirement for babies to be placed down to sleep in line with the latest government safety guidance here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/sudden-infant-death-syndrome-sids/.
To make the existing requirements clearer for all, the department plans to add in more detail to the EYFS frameworks. We have worked with safe sleep experts including the Lullaby Trust on proposed new wording. We plan to make these changes as soon as possible.
The ‘Early years qualification requirements and standards’ document sets out the minimum qualification requirements, including the qualifications criteria at levels 2 and 3, that staff must meet to be recognised as level 2, level 3 or level 6 members of staff for the purpose of working within the EYFS staff:child ratios. The document is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/early-years-qualification-requirements-and-standards.
Both the level 2 and level 3 criteria include knowledge of rest and sleep provision, with level 3 also including use of equipment, furniture and materials safely with regard for sleep safety.
Asked by: Juliet Campbell (Labour - Broxtowe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to upgrade the teacher training curriculum to include mandatory training on how to teach dyslexic children.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
On 16 January we announced plans for a new expectation on schools and other settings to ensure staff receive training on SEND and inclusion, supported by £200m investment during this Parliament into government-backed training courses and materials.
The department recently introduced a new training framework for trainee and early career teachers. The initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF), which became mandatory from September 2025, sets out the minimum entitlement to training for all new teachers. This framework includes more content on adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). For example, developing an understanding of different pupil needs and learning how to provide opportunities for success for all pupils, including those with dyslexia. We are committed to continuous improvement and will be reviewing the ITTECF in 2027, which will focus on the support we provide trainees and early career teachers in teaching pupils with SEND.