Asked by: Rebecca Pow (Conservative - Taunton Deane)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans Ofsted has to ensure that descriptors of high-quality education in new inspection handbooks for (a) early years, (b) schools and (c) further education emphasise the importance of pupils developing language and communication skills.
Answered by Nick Gibb
This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Rebecca Pow (Conservative - Taunton Deane)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Education and Skills Funding Agency plans to revise its apprenticeship funding rules for training providers and employers to include training for communication skills development in the list of items that can be funded; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Anne Milton
The apprenticeship funding rules set out eligible costs that the government will pay to support the training and assessment required to deliver an apprenticeship.
The funding rules do not set out the different skills required for each apprenticeship as these are different for every standard or framework. The knowledge, skills and behaviours required for each apprenticeship are set out in the standard and its assessment plan or in the framework that the apprentice undertakes. Where these include communication as an essential element of the skills needed for an apprentice to be competent, the costs of this training can be covered.
If an individual requires additional learning support that includes developing communication skills in order to successfully complete an apprenticeship, we will also pay up to £150 per month to support this.
The apprenticeship funding rules are published on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apprenticeship-funding-rules.
Asked by: Rebecca Pow (Conservative - Taunton Deane)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the training for designated senior leads for mental health includes training in awareness of speech, language and communication needs and their links to mental health.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The role of the Designated Senior Leads for Mental Health in schools will be to take a strategic overview of a school or college’s approach to children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The Department is currently working towards a procurement of training for Designated Senior Leads, to be provided from the 2019/20 academic year. This will set out the broad areas that the training should cover to enable leads to put in place whole school approaches that incorporate the promotion of good mental wellbeing and resilience amongst pupils and staff. Where a school puts a lead in place, their role should complement existing statutory roles, including the Special Educational Needs coordinator to ensure that all pupils get the right support to meet their needs.
To increase support, the Government is also funding new Mental Health Support Teams working in or near schools. The teams will include a new trained workforce which can provide treatment and support to help reduce mental health problems worsening or developing in the first place. These new teams will be tested in ‘trailblazer’ areas from January 2019.
Asked by: Rebecca Pow (Conservative - Taunton Deane)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to (a) identify and (b) tackle children’s communication difficulties under its Children in Need policy.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
The government is committed to ensuring that children and young people with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN) get the support they need to lead safe, fulfilling lives and to reach their potential.
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Code of Practice makes clear that local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and relevant others are responsible for commissioning specialist support locally using their high needs funding budgets. This includes support for SLCN. We have given an additional £250 million to high needs funding across 2018-19 and 2019-20 to help them fulfil these duties, on top of the £6 billion already provided for the high needs budget. Local authorities are required to develop and publish their local SEND offer based on an analysis of local need and we expect details of services for SLCN, including how they can be accessed, to be included.
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education has set out his ambition to halve the 28% of children who finish their reception year without the early communication and reading skills they need to thrive by 2028. The Department for Education is working with the Department of Health and Social Care and Public Health England to support health visitors and early years practitioners to identify and support children’s early SLCN. We are investing £26 million to set up a network of English hubs, £20 million to provide professional development for early years practitioners, and £7.5 million to understand what works in partnership with the Education Endowment Foundation. We are investing £6.5 million in voluntary and charity sector grants supporting the home learning environment.
Where children are at risk of harm, it is particularly important that they are supported to communicate their needs. The statutory guidance 'Working together to safeguard children' (2018) is clear that special provision should be put in place to support dialogue with children who have communication difficulties. This child-centred approach is supported by the Children Act (1989) and emphasised further in the interim findings of the children in need review.
Asked by: Rebecca Pow (Conservative - Taunton Deane)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the Education Endowment Foundation on ensuring that funding for improving outcomes for pupils with SEND has a focus on children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.
Answered by Nadhim Zahawi
I met with the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) on the 13 August 2018 to explore whether they could focus on more interventions that improve outcomes for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The EEF provided an overview of their plans for a new EEF funding round to improve outcomes for pupils with SEND. They have since announced new funding to test different approaches to improve attainment and other outcomes for children with SEND. The published guidance makes it clear that the EEF are interested in exploring targeted interventions for pupils with particular needs.
The funding round is open from 17 October until 14 January 2019. For information, visit the EEF website: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/projects-and-evaluation/how-to-apply/#closeSignup.