Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to (a) record and (b) investigate and address complaints about school policies that are alleged to cause harm to children with (i) autism, (ii) ADHD and (iii) other mental health challenges.

The department expects complaints about schools to first be addressed and handled through individual complaint procedures. Where a complaint is escalated to the department, we will consider whether, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education’s powers of intervention under sections 496 and 497 of the Education Act 1996 are available to be used and whether a school has complied with statutory requirements in how it has considered a complaint.

This can include complaints about policies that are alleged to cause harm to children with physical and mental health challenges. However, complaints are not recorded at this specific level of detail by the department. They may be classified under a broader subject term, such as safeguarding, child protection, medical conditions or Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), depending on the broader context of the complaint.

In March 2023, the department published an Improvement Plan to outline plans to establish a single national system that delivers for every child and young person with SEND and in Alternative Provision so that they enjoy their childhood, achieve good outcomes, and are well prepared for adulthood and employment.

The department will give families greater confidence that their child will be able to fulfil their potential through improved mainstream provision in their local setting.

For those children and young people with SEND who do require an Education, Health and Care plan and specialist provision, the department will ensure they get access to the support they need, and that parents do not face an adversarial system to secure this.