Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of educational provision for children diagnosed with cancer.

The department is committed to ensuring that pupils with medical conditions are properly supported at school, so that they have full access to education.

In 2014, the department introduced a new duty on schools to support pupils with all medical conditions, including cancer. Statutory guidance for schools on how to support pupils with medical conditions has been published and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

The guidance does not specify which medical conditions should be supported in schools. Instead, it focuses on how to meet the needs of each individual child and how their medical condition impacts school life.

Schools also have duties under the Equality Act 2010, to make reasonable adjustments and not to discriminate against disabled children, including those with cancer from the point of diagnosis, in relation to their access to education and associated services. Schools must make reasonable adjustments to their practices, procedures, and policies, to ensure that they are not putting such children at a substantial disadvantage.

Where a child cannot attend school due to health needs, and would not otherwise receive a suitable full-time education, the local authority is responsible for arranging provision under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996. Local authorities should ensure that a child receives “suitable education” in terms of their age, ability and aptitude, taking account of any special educational needs and keeping consistent with the provision that he or she would receive at their home school.