Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance her Department provides to schools on identifying and supporting pupils with Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS); and what assessment she has made of the potential educational impact of these conditions on affected children.

Schools are not responsible for making clinical judgements. Identifying and diagnosing medical conditions is the responsibility of the NHS. Schools should make referrals into NHS services and engage with the pupil’s family if they have a concern about a child’s health.

Paediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome (PANS) and Paediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) are uncommon acute-onset conditions that can cause a sudden deterioration in emotional, cognitive and functional abilities. Symptoms such as abrupt obsessive-compulsive behaviours, tics, restricted eating, severe anxiety, sensory sensitivities and slowed processing can lead to the acute onset of special educational needs, with immediate impact on learning, wellbeing, participation and attendance.

Section 100 of the Children and Families Act 2014 places a duty on maintained schools, academies and pupil referral units to make arrangements for supporting pupils with medical conditions, which would include PANS and PANDAS. Schools should ensure that pupils with medical conditions have full access to education, including school trips and physical education. In doing so, schools must have regard to the department’s ‘Supporting pupils with medical conditions at school’ statutory guidance which is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

Under the proposed reforms, schools will be expected to identify special educational needs and disabilities through ongoing assessment of barriers to learning and participation, supported by the graduated approach, Individual Support Plans and access to multi-agency expertise.