Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to help support children with additional needs.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision (AP) Improvement Plan, published in March 2023, the department set out plans to build a consistent national SEND and AP system which parents and carers can trust, easily navigate, and have confidence in, wherever they live in the country.
The foundation for the new nationally consistent SEND and AP system will be new evidenced based National Standards for early and accurate identification of need, and timely access to support to meet those needs. The standards will include clarifying the types of support that should be available in mainstream settings and who is responsible for securing the support.
This will help families, practitioners and providers understand what support every child or young person should be receiving from early years through to further education, no matter where they live or what their needs are. By the end of 2025, the department will publish a significant proportion of the National Standards.
New local SEND and AP partnerships will support this work by bringing together Education, Health and Care partners with local government to produce evidence-based Local Area Inclusion Plans setting out how to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND and in AP in the local area, in line with National Standards.
The department is testing and refining reforms through our Change Programme to collect evidence about what works for children and young people with SEND and their families at a local level. The department is working with 32 local authorities and their local areas in each of the nine regions.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question
To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to ensure that people with neurodivergent conditions receive appropriate and accessible support when using public services.
Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)
The government are implementing a National Autism Strategy and the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan.
Additionally, the Department of Health and Social Care are rolling out the Oliver McGowan Mandatory Training where part one has been completed by over 1.4 million people.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she had discussions with the Secretary of State for Education on increasing children's access to (a) music, (b) drama, (c) dance and (d) other arts and cultural activities out of school.
Answered by Julia Lopez - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Ministers in both the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and the Department for Education have regular discussions on a range of subjects, including the development of their joint Cultural Education Plan, as committed to in the DfE’s Schools White Paper, which aims to support for all children and young people (aged 0–18) to access a broad range of high-quality cultural education subjects, activities, and experiences in and out of school. This includes encouraging engagement and partnerships between schools and cultural providers out of school, such as public libraries, theatres and museums.
The Government also published a new National Plan for Music Education in June 2022. This refreshed plan, The Power of Music to Change Lives, aims to level up music opportunities for all children and young people, regardless of circumstance, needs or geography, in addition to raising the profile and time spent on music lessons in school. We are making £25 million of new funding available to purchase hundreds of thousands of musical instruments and equipment for young people, including adaptive instruments for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities so more young people can find and explore a passion for music.
Asked by: Sarah Owen (Labour - Luton North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to help ensure that school work experience placements are accessible to students living with disabilities.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Work experience is an important aspect of the support pupils receive to follow rewarding learning and training pathways which lead to fulfilling careers.
The department works with The Careers and Enterprise Company (CEC) to support secondary schools in providing pupils with multiple interactions with employers from year 7 to year 13 in line with Gatsby Benchmark 6 - Experiences of the Workplace. This 2023/24 financial year, the department has asked CEC to drive this agenda forward at pace to increase workplace opportunities, targeting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is in response to evidence that these pupils are less likely to access work experience opportunities than their peers.
The CEC Careers Hub network has been asked to use a proportion of their Hub Delivery Fund to stimulate meaningful employer-led activities to increase the quantity and quality of opportunities for young people to engage in encounters of the workplace. Within the fund, there is a focus on alternative provision, SEND and Pupil Referral Units across all year groups. One funded activity, ‘Let’s Explore VR’ delivered fully immersive experiences to SEND pupils across the Liverpool City Region, who faced social barriers to accessing and engaging with workplace careers insights and traditional work experience. The activity provided unique and engaging insights into a variety of workplaces, careers and sectors using virtual reality to transport the students into the world of work.
The CEC’s training is designed to promote SEND inclusion. The CEC have developed SEND awareness training for their Enterprise Coordinators and Enterprise Advisers and provide SEND Careers training to Careers Leaders and special educational needs co-ordinators in schools, to support the development of careers plans and employer experiences appropriate to the needs of students with SEND. There are now 38 named SEND specific Enterprise Coordinators in place across 31 Careers Hubs. Enterprise Coordinators are trained professionals who work with a cluster of 20 schools and colleges to build careers plans and make connections to local and national employers. In addition, 300 Enterprise Coordinators have undertaken masterclass training to gain an understanding of how to support schools, colleges and special schools with young people with SEND.
Supported internships are a study programme for young people aged 16 to 24 who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and want to move into employment. They equip young people with the skills they need to secure and sustain employment through learning in the workplace.
The department is investing approximately £18 million until 2025 to build capacity in the supported internships programme and support more young people with EHC plans into employment.
In the 2023 Spring Budget, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, announced up to £3 million to pilot extending supported internships to young people with learning difficulties and disabilities without an EHC plan by March 2025. The pilot is being rolled out in 12 local authorities.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to (a) identify students who are at risk of school exclusion and (b) make (i) early interventions and (ii) trauma informed approaches to ensure that their needs are met.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department supports head teachers in using suspension and permanent exclusion as a sanction as part of creating calm, safe, and supportive environments where pupils and staff can work in safety and are respected.
The department has published guidance on ‘Behaviour in Schools’, ‘Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools’, and ‘Suspension and Permanent Exclusion’, which is the primary source of help and support for schools on how to manage behaviour for all pupils in the school community, to create a culture with high expectations of behaviour. The ‘Behaviour in Schools’ guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65ce3721e1bdec001a3221fe/Behaviour_in_schools_-_advice_for_headteachers_and_school_staff_Feb_2024.pdf. The ‘Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools’ guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/625ee6148fa8f54a8bb65ba9/Mental_health_and_behaviour_in_schools.pdf. The ‘Suspension and Permanent Exclusion’ guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1181584/Suspension_and_permanent_exclusion_guidance_september_23.pdf.
The department does not endorse any one approach to behaviour management over another. The department trusts school leaders to develop tailored behaviour policies which reflect their school’s individual contexts and needs. Any policy must be lawful, proportionate, and reasonable and comply with the school’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Education and Inspections Act 2006.
The ‘Behaviour in Schools and Exclusion’ guidance is also clear that head teachers should consider any underlying causes of misbehaviour before issuing any exclusion, including where a pupil has a history of trauma. Early intervention measures should include an assessment of whether appropriate provision is in place to support any special educational needs and disabilities. The ‘Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools’ guidance also makes clear that recognising emerging issues as early as possible, and working effectively with external agencies to provide support for pupils who display persistent disruptive behaviour, and are at risk of exclusion, is vital.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of trauma informed schools for (a) children with SEND, mental health challenges and childhood trauma and (b) other students.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Schools have the flexibility to decide what pastoral support they provide to best meet the individual needs of all their pupils, including children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), mental health challenges or who have experienced trauma. However, the department recommends a whole-school approach as the most effective way to promote and support mental health and wellbeing for all pupils, including those who may be particularly vulnerable.
The department’s guidance on the principles of a whole school or college approach recognises the importance of an individualised response to pupil needs, and can help contribute towards creating a safe environment for those who have experienced trauma and adverse experiences. This guidance can be accessed at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/promoting-children-and-young-peoples-emotional-health-and-wellbeing. To help settings embed a whole-school approach to mental health and wellbeing, the department is offering funded senior mental health lead training to all state schools and colleges, including special and alternative provision settings. This training covers the range of mental health issues likely to be encountered in schools and colleges and the risk factors associated with specific groups, including children with special educational needs and who have experienced trauma, to support leads to understand and plan appropriate responses to pupils’ mental health and wellbeing needs. Over 15,100 settings have received a training grant so far, including more than 7 in 10 state secondary schools.
Additionally, a range of department guidance makes clear the need for school staff to be aware of adverse childhood experiences, including trauma, and the potential impact on children. ‘Keeping children safe in education’ is statutory guidance that all schools and colleges must have regard to when carrying out their duties to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/keeping-children-safe-in-education--2.
The department’s mental health and behaviour guidance also recommends school staff be aware of how potentially traumatic childhood experiences can impact on children’s behaviour and education and the importance of schools providing early support to pupils at such times. It signposts to further information on supporting children through difficult life events. This guidance is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/mental-health-and-behaviour-in-schools--2.
Finally, the SEND Code of Practice sets out that all schools should apply a ‘graduated approach’, which means identifying a child’s needs, implementing appropriate support and reviewing it regularly. This guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25. Schools should involve pupils and their parents at each of these stages. The department expects schools and local authorities to consider the individual circumstances of each pupil and family and take the best course of action to support them.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision of services for children with special educational needs and disabilities in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
A joint local area special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) inspection of Lincolnshire was undertaken by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in October 2018. At the time, inspectors identified no significant areas of weakness in SEND services. The inspection covered all of Lincolnshire including South Holland and the Deepings constituency.
Ofsted launched a new framework for area SEND inspections in January 2023. This framework introduced a continuous cycle of inspections, where each local area will have at least one full area SEND inspection within five years of the launch of the framework. Lincolnshire will be inspected under this framework in due course.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to tackle regional disparities in (a) the identification of and (b) access to support for SEND.
Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan, published in March 2023, the department set out plans to build a consistent national SEND and AP system which parents and carers can trust, easily navigate and have confidence in, wherever they live in the country.
The foundation for the new, nationally consistent SEND and AP system will be the new evidenced-based National Standards for the early and accurate identification of need and timely access to support to meet those needs. The standards will include clarifying the types of support that should be available in mainstream settings and who is responsible for securing the support.
This will help families, practitioners and providers understand what support every child or young person should be receiving from early years through to further education, no matter where they live or what their needs are. By the end of 2025, the department will publish a significant proportion of the National Standards.
New local SEND and AP partnerships will support this work by bringing together Education, Health and Care partners with local government to produce evidence-based Local Area Inclusion Plans. These plans will set out how to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND and in AP in the local area, in line with National Standards.
The department is testing and refining reforms through its Change Programme to collect evidence about what works for children and young people with SEND and their families at a local level. The department is working with 32 local authorities and their local areas in each of the nine regions.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the impact of dysregulated parents or guardians on children's regulation at school.
Answered by Damian Hinds - Minister of State (Education)
The department has not made an assessment on the impact of dysregulated parents or guardians on children's regulation at school.
The department recognises the importance of providing pupils with the right support at the right time to help them achieve the high standards of behaviour expected of them. The department’s recently updated ‘Behaviour in schools’ guidance advises schools on creating calm, safe and supportive environments where pupils and staff can work in safety and are respected. It is important for schools to engage parents in their children’s education and the department trusts schools to develop approaches to engaging parents that are best suited to the local context of the school and individual families. The ‘Behaviour in schools’ guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/behaviour-in-schools--2.
There are a range of methods to support pupils who are experiencing anxiety or other forms of distress. The department has committed to offer all state schools and colleges a grant to train a senior mental health lead by 2025. Training will enable leads to introduce effective whole school approaches to mental health and wellbeing, including the consideration of the support interventions provided in school and the training needs of staff. Over 15,100 settings have claimed a grant so far, including more than 7 in 10 state-funded secondary schools.
For those pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the ‘SEND code of practice’ sets out that all schools should apply a ‘graduated approach’, which means identifying a child’s needs, implementing appropriate support and reviewing it regularly. Schools should involve pupils and their parents at each of these stages, taking their perspectives into account and keeping them informed about what support is in place. The department expects schools and local authorities to consider the individual circumstances of each pupil and family and take the best course of action to support them. The ‘SEND code of practice’ can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the HM Treasury:
To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he made an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the potential merits of increasing funding for SEND provision in the Spring Budget 2024.
Answered by Laura Trott - Chief Secretary to the Treasury
The Chancellor and Chief Secretary hold regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues on spending priorities for fiscal events.
Spring Budget 2024 committed to an initial £105 million over the next four years towards a wave of 15 special free schools. This will create over 2,000 additional high-quality places across England for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
In the 2024/25 financial year, high needs revenue funding is rising to over £10.5 billion, an increase of over 60% from 2019/20. We also published the SEND and alternative provision improvement plan last year, which set out our plans to reform the system so that children and young people with SEND will get high-quality, early support wherever they live in the country.