Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to recruit more teachers for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Recent data shows that there are now over 468,000 full time equivalent (FTE) teachers in state funded schools in England, an increase of 27,000 (6%) since 2010. This makes it the highest number of FTE teachers on record since the School Workforce Census began in 2010.

All teachers are teachers of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The Department is committed to ensuring that all pupils can reach their potential and receive excellent support from their teachers.

The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils. All trainees who achieve Qualified Teacher Status must demonstrate that they can adapt teaching to respond to the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND.

To support all teachers in meeting these standards, the Department is implementing a ‘golden thread’ of high quality teacher training reforms which begins with initial teacher training (ITT) and continues throughout their career progression.

In May 2023, the Department published guidance for accredited ITT providers and their partners, to support the involvement of special schools and alternative provision in ITT. The guidance can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1157879/ITT_-_special_schools_and_alternative_provision_May_2023.pdf#:~:text=It%20has%20been%20produced%20to%20help%20accredited%20Initial,units%2C%20and%20mainstream%20schools%20with%20SEN%20resource%20units.

The Department’s reforms to teacher recruitment and retention will support all teachers, including teachers of children with SEND.