Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the capacity of school leaders and SENCos to lead the effective implementation of the SEND training programme.

The government is investing over £200 million in a professional development programme for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and inclusion.

Wave 4 of the ‘Working Lives of Teachers and Leaders’ found that teaching pupils with SEND is one of the most common topics covered in professional development and the area in which teachers most want further training.

Recognising the pressures on school capacity, we are developing materials to support in-house training. Schools and colleges will be able to deliver high-quality, evidence-based professional development during existing scheduled time, such as INSET days and staff meetings. Supportive facilitator guidance will help school leaders deliver the materials effectively.

From 2027, we will launch new, fully funded SEND and inclusion courses for teachers, teaching assistants and leaders. Combining flexible online self-study with live facilitated sessions, the courses will accommodate varied schedules, deepen expertise and help leaders improve SEND and inclusion across their settings.

Training for special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) was overhauled in 2024 with the introduction of the National Professional Qualification for SENCOs. This provides high-quality, evidence-based training and we continue to fully fund the qualification for eligible participants.