Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department took to ensure that responses to the SEND consultation were received from all regions in England.

During the 16-week consultation on the Special Educational Needs (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Green Paper, the department received around 6,000 online responses from the sector including children, young people, families, schools and local government. In addition, 175 online and in person consultation events were delivered, receiving responses from a further 4,500 people. To support receiving responses from people across the country, these events were promoted through a wide range of communication channels, including working in partnership with the Council for Disabled Children and the regional parent carer forums via the National Network of Parent Carer Forums who represent families from each English region.

The department also allowed organisations to submit consultation responses. Annex 4 of the independent analysis of the consultation responses shows the wide range of responses received from across the country.

The department continues to engage with the SEND and AP sector as reforms are designed and tested through the Change Programme. This will ensure a wide range of perspectives are considered to improve the outcomes and experiences of children and young people with SEND and in AP.