Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all deaf children get access to the specialist support they need at school.

We want all children and young people, no matter what their special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), to be able to reach their full potential and receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. That is why, since 2014, we have supported the implementation of significant reforms, putting children, young people and their families at the heart of the system, and focusing on outcomes and transition to adult life.

To support the reforms, we provided £900,000 funding to the National Sensory Impairment Partnership between 2016 and 2018 to equip the school workforce to deliver high quality teaching for pupils with sensory impairments.

We have announced new contracts worth £23.8 million to help provide children who have SEND, including those who are deaf or have a hearing impairment, with access to excellent support.

New SEND regional leads are bringing together practitioners and networks in their local area to help identify and address SEND school improvement priorities and facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise.