Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the requirements for training teachers how to (a) identify and (b) treat acquired brain injury are.

It is important that children with medical conditions, such as acquired brain injury, are supported to receive a full education.

To be awarded qualified teacher status, trainees must meet the Teachers’ Standards, which include a requirement that they adapt teaching to meet the strengths and needs of all pupils. The performance of all existing teachers in maintained schools must be assessed every year against the Teachers' Standards. It is the responsibility of school leaders to determine the training needs of their staff, within their approach to school improvement, professional development and performance management.

Under Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014, governing boards are required to make arrangements to support pupils with medical conditions and to have regard to statutory guidance. The guidance is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3, and covers a range of areas including staff training. Staff training is critical in enabling school staff to provide the support needed to pupils with medical conditions. The statutory guidance is clear that governing boards should ensure that any member of school staff providing support to a pupil with medical needs has received suitable training. It also states that training should be sufficient to ensure that staff are competent and have confidence in their ability to support pupils with medical conditions, and to fulfil the requirements as set out in individual healthcare plans.

The information requested on number of incidents of concussion in schools is not held centrally.