Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department has plans to (a) set national standards in respect of SEND provision and to (b) ensure equitable provision throughout the country where local authorities decide how specialist provision will be made in their area.

The department has heard throughout the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Review that the level of variation in SEND provision across the country is part of what drives some of the challenges and dissatisfaction with the current system. This is part of what we plan to address through the Review to ensure better outcomes and experiences for those with SEND, within a sustainable system. The department will publish proposals as a green paper for public consultation, in the first 3 months of 2022.

Currently, the department supports and hold local areas to account for the quality of their local SEND provision through joint inspections by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission. Once an inspection report has been published, SEND case leads in the department work closely with our regional SEND adviser team and NHS England advisers to support and challenge local areas to secure the improvements required.