Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to ensure that occupational therapists are consulted in the design of (a) new school buildings and (b) new learning environments, funded through school capital investment programmes.

Departmental construction programmes build or rebuild schools in line with our design and construction standards. These standards integrate statutory requirements for accessibility and equitable use in all new or rebuilt school settings, including mainstream.

Since our specifications are prepared by industry experts and reference the latest standards and guidance for accessible, equitable and inclusive environments, it is not necessary to engage with occupational therapists.

We use evidence from building-in-use studies to ensure the specifications guiding our designs meet end-user needs and are updated when necessary.

Stakeholder engagement forms an integral part of the delivery process for all projects using the department’s suite of documentation.

The Equality Act 2010 requires local authorities to prepare accessibility strategies for the schools for which they are the responsible bodies. There is a similar duty for individual schools of all types to develop accessibility plans.