Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department consulted (a) SEND advocacy organisations and (b) education professionals prior to the launch of its recent campaign featuring Gemma Collins.

The interview with Gemma Collins was not subject to consultation with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) advocacy organisations or education professionals prior to publication.

The department does not consult on every interview we publish. The content was specifically focused on post-16 vocational pathways and was designed to reach young people who may feel disconnected from traditional academic routes. It was a single interview published to coincide with an announcement on regional funding for apprenticeships and our plans for the transition to V Levels.

The department takes the concerns of SEND families extremely seriously. Before publishing the ‘Every child achieving and thriving’ white paper, we held a national conversation involving thousands of conversations and over 200 engagement events, meetings and roundtables across the country. Ministers continue to hold regular meetings with campaigners and disabled children's organisations.