Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason the SEND and alternative provision improvement plan does not make specific reference to (a) cerebral palsy and (b) physical disability; and what steps her Department is taking to ensure that children with cerebral palsy are not overlooked by the SEND and alternative provision implementation board.

The department wants all children and young people to be able to reach their full potential and receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The Special Education Needs and Disability (SEND) and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan is designed to support all children, rather than being restricted to specific conditions, and to meet those needs within a fair and financially sustainable system, by improving national consistency. This will mean that the right support is provided in the right place at the right time for children and young people with SEND.

Under the Children and Families Act 2014, mainstream schools and colleges must use their best endeavours to make sure any child or young person who has Special Educational Needs, including those with cerebral palsy and physical disabilities, gets the special educational provision they need. Alongside this, all schools have duties under the Equality Act 2010 towards individual disabled children and young people. They must make reasonable adjustments, including the provision of auxiliary aids and services for disabled children, to prevent them being put at a substantial disadvantage.