Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, when her Department plans to introduce a Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO) national professional qualification (NPQ); and whether the new qualification will affect the planned revision of the SEND Code of Practice.

In the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, the department announced the introduction of a new National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) as the mandatory qualification, replacing the National Award for Special Educational Needs Coordination.

All arrangements around delivery, providers, start dates, and funding regarding the NPQ for SENCOs will be communicated in due course.

The SEND Regulations 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice will be updated to reflect the change to the mandatory qualification.