Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what specific remit the 32 English Hubs will have to support learners identified with (a) literacy difficulties and (b) SEND.

The 32 English Hubs will deploy five practising teachers to deliver support to local schools. These teachers will not be required to hold specific qualifications in special educational needs, but will be trained to support all children to learn to read.

The Department has invested heavily in resources and training for dyslexia and specific learning difficulties support. This has included increasing training for teachers and school leaders and providing access to literacy specialists to the wide range of support available to all teachers. Literacy specialists will also have access to the wide range of support available to all teachers. The new standards for qualified teacher status include a continued focus on meeting the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).

The Whole School SEND consortium, funded by the Department, are delivering training and resources for schools to enable schools to review their SEND provision in order to identify address where provision can be improved, including identifying and supporting pupils with SEND more effectively.