Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will hold discussions with relevant stakeholders on assessing the adequacy of the national curriculum for supporting children with SEND to achieve good qualifications.

The department is committed to delivering an education system that works for all children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The National SEND and Alternative Provision Implementation Board, chaired by Ministers, meets regularly to consider a range of issues relating to SEND.

As the department made clear in the SEND code of practice, all pupils should have access to a broad and balanced curriculum. The code states:

“The National Curriculum Inclusion Statement states that teachers should set high expectations for every pupil, whatever their prior attainment. Teachers should use appropriate assessment to set targets which are deliberately ambitious and potential areas of difficulty should be identified and addressed at the outset. Lessons should be planned to address potential areas of difficulty and to remove barriers to pupil achievement. In many cases, such planning means that pupils with SEND will be able to study the full National Curriculum”. The SEND code of practice can be read in full here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.