Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the adequacy of diversity in the art and design teaching profession.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Department wants teaching to be a profession where teachers and head teachers from all backgrounds have the same opportunities to progress in their career. The Department actively monitors diversity data on the teaching population through the School Workforce Census and Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Census. Results show increasing diversity over time for some groups. For example, the ethnic diversity of the teacher workforce continues to increase, with 15.6% of teachers identifying as belonging to an ethnic minority group, up from 11.2% in 2010/11.
It is not possible to provide a breakdown of the demographic characteristics of subject teachers due to the way data is collected from a sample of secondary schools. A national level headcount of teachers by subjects taught is published in the ‘School Workforce in England’ statistical publication available here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-workforce-in-england.
With regard to trainee teachers, in 2022/23, there were 477 new postgraduate trainee art and design teachers with known sex. Of these, 87% were female, 12% were male, and 1% reported their sex as ‘Other’, compared to 72%, 28%, and 0% respectively for postgraduate ITT trainees overall. There were 458 art and design trainees with known nationality, of which 92% were UK nationals, 6% were European Economic Area nationals, and 2% were of other nationality, compared to 92%, 5% and 2% respectively for all ITT postgraduate trainees.
It is not possible to provide breakdowns of other ITT trainee characteristics by subject. Full data can be found in the ITT Census here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/initial-teacher-training-census.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 28 February to Question 148811 on School Meals: Nutrition, what recent progress she has made on the review of School Food Standards.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The current School Food Standards provide a robust yet flexible framework to ensure pupils in England continue to receive high quality and nutritious food. The Department continues to keep the School Food Standards under review.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether staff who receive the Early Years Level 3 SENCo qualification as part of the SEND and Alternative Provision Plan will be expected to train colleagues on how to identity and take early action for children with special educational needs; and whether her Department has made an assessment of the suitability of Level 3 in achieving that objective.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Minister (Equalities)
The early years (EY) Level 3 SENCO qualification is designed to equip early years Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) to fulfil the role of EY SENCO as described in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) code of practice. At section 5.54, the code of practice requires EY SENCOs to ensure that all practitioners in their setting understand their responsibilities to children with SEND, the setting’s approach to identifying and meeting special educational needs, and to provide advice and support to colleagues.
The qualification offered by the training provider is accredited by an Ofqual-registered awarding organisation, NCFE. Part of achieving and maintaining accreditation is demonstrating delivery of NCFE’s qualification specification, which includes a range of modules designed to equip SENCOs to fulfil the role of EY SENCO as described in the SEND code of practice.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the SEND and alternative provision improvement plan, published on 2 March 2023, to require training on special educational needs and disabilities to be included in the continuing professional development of all classroom staff.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Minister (Equalities)
High-quality teaching is central to ensuring that pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are given the best possible opportunity to achieve in their education. The SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan published on 2 March outlines our approach to building capacity to achieve the behaviours and culture required for the successful implementation of these policy reforms.
The department has transformed the support and training available to support teachers and leaders at every stage of their career to deliver improved outcomes for young people across the country.
The golden thread of professional development begins with Initial Teacher Training (ITT) followed by a new two-year induction programme based on the Early Career Framework (ECF), which are designed to support trainees and newly qualified teachers to meet the Teachers’ Standards at the appropriate level. This includes the requirement in Standard 5, that all teachers must have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including, where appropriate those identified as being neurodivergent or other special educational needs.
The department has publicly committed to reviewing the ITT core content framework and ECF alongside each other into more closely combined frameworks and we will explore how to better support new teachers to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.
For experienced teachers and leaders, a range of specialist and leadership National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) are available. NPQs are designed to support professionals to hone and develop their existing skills, helping them to become more effective inside and outside the classroom, and ensure they support all pupils to succeed in both mainstream and specialist settings.
In March 2023, as part of the Improvement Plan for SEND and AP, the department announced plans to introduce a new leadership NPQ for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCos). This new NPQ will equip SENCos with the knowledge, practical skills, and leadership expertise to shape their school’s approach to supporting children with SEND.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason her Department is proposing to replace the Level 7 NASENCo qualification with a new SENCo NPQ.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Minister (Equalities)
The department consulted on the proposal to introduce a new leadership National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) to replace the existing qualification through the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper. As set out in the SEND and AP Improvement Plan, published on 2 March 2023, the department will be proceeding with the proposal and the NPQ for SENCOs will become the mandatory qualification.
The introduction of the NPQ will play a key role in achieving our ambition to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND by ensuring SENCOs consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training.
NPQs are designed to provide training and support for education professionals at all levels and deliver improved outcomes for children and young people. They are built with education professionals in mind, using the latest and best available evidence with content and delivery quality assured by Ofsted and the Education Endowment Foundation. A leadership NPQ will also empower SENCOs to take on leadership roles within their settings, providing the essential knowledge and skills needed to set the strategic direction of SEN policy in a school.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to communicate with local authorities and parents in areas where National Standards for SEND provision are being trialled to make it clear that existing legislation including the (a) Equality Act 2010, (b) Children and Families’ Act 2014 and (c) SEND Code of Practice still apply.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Minister (Equalities)
The new National Standards will build on the comprehensive legal framework relevant to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) by clarifying what good evidence-based provision looks like, who is responsible for securing it and from what budgets.
Through the SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper, the department has identified how important it is that National Standards are evidence-based and that children, young people and their families are able to feed into the development process. We are setting up a steering group of cross sector representatives, that will include parent-carer representatives, to oversee the development of standards. We will test the National Standards in the context of our £70 million Change Programme to ensure they are iterated and set up for success.
The development of the National Standards may require updates to both the legislation on SEND and to the SEND Code of Practice. The department will publish the National Standards in full for consultation.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will take steps to ensure that people identified as having a special educational need in the education system can access the appropriate support when looking for employment in adult life.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Minister (Equalities)
The department wants to provide all young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) with good opportunities which allow them to transition from education into a fulfilling adult life.
On 2 March 2023, we published the SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan, in response to the Green Paper published in March 2022. This outlines the department’s mission for the SEND and AP system to fulfil children and young people’s potential, build parent’s trust and provide financial sustainability.
The department is developing good practice guidance to support consistent, timely, high-quality transitions for children and young people with SEND and in AP. This will ultimately look at transitions between all stages of education from early years and will focus initially on transitions into and out of post-16 settings, including into employment.
The department is also supporting the Department for Work and Pensions to develop an Adjustments Passport that will help to smooth the transition into employment and support people changing jobs. The Adjustments Passport will capture the in-work support needs of the individual and empower them to have confident discussions about adjustments with employers.
The government is committed to supporting pathways to employment for disabled learners, including through strengthening the Supported Internships Programme. We are investing approximately £18 million until 2025 to build capacity in the Supported Internships Programme and level up the quality of internships across the country. As part of this investment, over 700 job coaches will be trained by 2025 to ensure interns receive high-quality support on their work placements.
In the Spring Budget 2023, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced up to £3 million to pilot extending the Supported Internships Programme to young people with learning difficulties and disabilities, but without Education, Health and Care plans.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, published on 2 March 2023, whether her Department plans to confirm the status of pre-existing legislation in areas where National Standards are to be trialled.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Minister (Equalities)
The new National Standards will build on the comprehensive legal framework relevant to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) by clarifying what good evidence-based provision looks like, who is responsible for securing it and from what budgets.
Through the SEND and Alternative Provision Green Paper, the department has identified how important it is that National Standards are evidence-based and that children, young people and their families are able to feed into the development process. We are setting up a steering group of cross sector representatives, that will include parent-carer representatives, to oversee the development of standards. We will test the National Standards in the context of our £70 million Change Programme to ensure they are iterated and set up for success.
The development of the National Standards may require updates to both the legislation on SEND and to the SEND Code of Practice. The department will publish the National Standards in full for consultation.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason her Department found that (a) national standards were required to underpin SEND provision and (b) that existing legislation including (i) the Equality Act 2010, (ii) the Children and Families’ Act 2014 and (iii) the SEND Code of Practice were not fit for purpose.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Minister (Equalities)
The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision Green Paper highlighted that early identification of needs and provision of support does not happen consistently across the system, despite the best efforts of the workforce. The inconsistency means that parents, carers and providers do not know what to reasonably expect from their local settings, resulting in low confidence in the ability of mainstream settings to effectively meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.
National Standards will set out clear expectations for the types of support that should be ordinarily available in mainstream schools, who is responsible for securing it and from which budgets. This will give families and providers clarity and confidence in the support that is ordinarily available, reducing reliance on Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans to access support.
The department has a comprehensive legal framework relating to support for children and young people with SEND. At the heart is the Children and Families Act 2014, the related statutory guidance and the Equality Act 2010. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.
We will build on this foundation through the introduction of National Standards to help guarantee a more consistent level of support for those with SEND, no matter where in England they live.
The department is setting up a steering group of cross sector representatives, that will include parent-carer representatives, to oversee the development of standards. We will also test the National Standards in the context of our £70 million Change Programme, to ensure they are iterated and set up for success. The development of National Standards may require some updates to SEND legislation and the SEND Code of Practice. We will publish the National Standards in full for consultation.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that mainstream education settings (a) support learners with SEND and (b) spend adequate amounts of funding on students with SEND.
Answered by Claire Coutinho - Shadow Minister (Equalities)
In the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan, the department has set out the mission for more children and young people with SEND to have their needs met effectively in mainstream settings, reducing reliance on education, health and care plans to access support.
The department will improve mainstream education through setting standards for early and accurate identification of need, and timely access to support to meet those needs. The standards will include clarifying the types of support that should be ordinarily available in mainstream settings, who is responsible for securing the support and from what budgets.
Head teachers working directly with children and young people in schools and colleges are best placed to make decisions on how much to spend on the additional support their pupils and students need. To help mainstream schools in making those decisions, local authorities are required to identify for each school in their area an amount as a notional budget, within their overall budget allocation, for the costs of support for their pupils with special educational needs, up to £6,000 per pupil per annum.