Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has considered exempting Non-Maintained Specialist Schools from proposed changes to charging and inclusion on approved school list, as set out in the Every child achieving and thriving White Paper, published 23 February 2026.

Non-maintained special schools are approved by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, under section 342 of the Education Act 1996 and provide specialist education for children and young people with special educational needs.

Non-maintained special schools are distinct from independent special schools.

The government intends for the proposed specialist provision packages national cost framework to apply to new state-funded education health and care placements in special schools. The government has separately set out proposals to ensure local authorities can pay a reasonable price for placements in independent special schools. Non-maintained special schools will not be in the scope of this measure.

The government’s consultation ‘Special educational needs and disabilities reform: putting children and young people first’ has now closed. The department is carefully reviewing all responses alongside feedback received through over 200 engagement events held during the 12-week consultation period.