Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make an assessment of the potential merits of amending the SEND and alternative provision improvement plan, published on 2 March 2023, to require training on special educational needs and disabilities to be included in the continuing professional development of all classroom staff.

High-quality teaching is central to ensuring that pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) are given the best possible opportunity to achieve in their education. The SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan published on 2 March outlines our approach to building capacity to achieve the behaviours and culture required for the successful implementation of these policy reforms.

The department has transformed the support and training available to support teachers and leaders at every stage of their career to deliver improved outcomes for young people across the country.

The golden thread of professional development begins with Initial Teacher Training (ITT) followed by a new two-year induction programme based on the Early Career Framework (ECF), which are designed to support trainees and newly qualified teachers to meet the Teachers’ Standards at the appropriate level. This includes the requirement in Standard 5, that all teachers must have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including, where appropriate those identified as being neurodivergent or other special educational needs.

The department has publicly committed to reviewing the ITT core content framework and ECF alongside each other into more closely combined frameworks and we will explore how to better support new teachers to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

For experienced teachers and leaders, a range of specialist and leadership National Professional Qualifications (NPQs) are available. NPQs are designed to support professionals to hone and develop their existing skills, helping them to become more effective inside and outside the classroom, and ensure they support all pupils to succeed in both mainstream and specialist settings.

In March 2023, as part of the Improvement Plan for SEND and AP, the department announced plans to introduce a new leadership NPQ for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (SENCos). This new NPQ will equip SENCos with the knowledge, practical skills, and leadership expertise to shape their school’s approach to supporting children with SEND.