Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure an adequate provision of SEND services for children in the future.

Through delivery of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision (AP) Improvement Plan, the department will establish a single national system that delivers for every child and young person with SEND and in AP so that they enjoy their childhood, achieve good outcomes and are well prepared for adulthood and employment.

The department will give families greater confidence that their child will be able to fulfil their potential through improved mainstream provision in their local setting.

For those children and young people with SEND who do require an Education, Health and Care plan and specialist provision, the department will ensure they get access to the support they need, and that parents do not face an adversarial system to secure this.

To ensure adequate provision of SEND services for children in the future, the department has already completed the following:

• In this academic year, the department has opened 15 new special free school and one AP free school, creating over 1,500 new places for children and young people when the schools are at capacity. The department has also approved a further 37 special and five AP free schools to open and approved in principle a further 40 special free schools. Together, these would create over 9,000 new places.

• In September 2023, the department launched a £70 million Change Programme made up of 32 local authorities to test and refine the department’s reforms. The programme is working with local authorities, integrated care boards, school representatives, parent group representatives and professionals to benefit every region in England.

• In January 2024, the department announced a new initial teacher training and early career framework, which includes new and updated content on SEND to ensure teachers have the skills and confidence to support all children.

• The department will be investing over £21 million to train a further 400 educational psychologists from 2024.

• The department is introducing a new National Professional Qualification for Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) to ensure they consistently receive high-quality, evidence-based training, with teaching beginning in Autumn 2024. The department is also funding training for up to 7,000 early years SENCOs to support early and accurate identification of need.