Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of affording neurodiverse pupils frequent break periods for movement in Surrey Heath constituency.

The department believes schools are best placed to take these decisions locally, in consultation with parents, young people and the local authority, after a thorough assessment of the child or young person’s needs and drawing on wider professional advice, as appropriate.

To support schools, the department is strengthening the evidence base of what works to improve inclusive practice in mainstream settings and have commissioned evidence reviews from Newcastle University and University College London. The ‘What Works in SEND’ research programme is researching tools that schools can use to identify the needs of neurodivergent children.