Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that teachers are supported and resourced to support children with dyslexia, and to support their increased focus on inclusion for learners with SEND.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
On 16th January, we announced a new training package, backed by £200 million of new funding, to ensure that all teachers, educators, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia.
We value the hard work of teachers and educators up and down the country and we have specifically designed our new continuing professional development courses to be flexible to work around their schedules.
In February, we announced £500 million per financial year over the next three years through the Inclusive Mainstream Fund to support schools, colleges and early years settings with upfront funding to help them move towards becoming more inclusive by design.
We will also introduce National Inclusion Standards, which will set out what ordinarily available provision should be in every setting across the 0 to 25 system, as well as the evidence-based tools, strategies and approaches for educators to draw on to identify and support children and young people with SEND, including those with dyslexia.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how their SEND reforms will ensure (1) early identification of children with dyslexia, and (2) equality in access to support in every school.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department recognises that effective early identification and intervention are critical to improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia.
We want all education settings to be confident in identifying needs accurately and providing evidence-based support as early as possible. To support this, we are strengthening the evidence base on effective approaches. In partnership with the department, we have commissioned research, led by UK Research and Innovation, to develop approaches to early identification, assessment and support.
Through the SEND reform consultation, we proposed the introduction of National Inclusion Standards to set out evidence-informed tools, strategies and approaches for identifying and supporting needs, and the introduction of a new training package for all staff to upskill them on identifying and responding to needs. We also proposed a duty on schools to produce an Inclusion Strategy, setting out the support they would provide across Universal, Targeted and Targeted Plus provision. We are currently considering consultation responses to inform decisions on these proposals and any future requirements.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the needs of dyslexic children in classrooms are addressed following the SEND reform: putting children and young people first consultation.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department’s reforms are designed to enable all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) including those with dyslexia to succeed.
We are providing £1.6 billion of additional funding to mainstream settings through an Inclusive Mainstream Fund to help settings identify commonly occurring needs and take meaningful steps to improve everyday support. Schools and colleges will also be able to direct funding to develop targeted support for those who need them, such as group interventions, without formal assessment or diagnosis.
Clear statutory duties for schools will also be introduced to identify and meet needs as early as possible and ensure the progress of children and young people is monitored to ensure timely and effective interventions.
To ensure teachers, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with special educational needs, we are investing £200 million of new funding to upskill staff and promote an inclusive culture.
We have also introduced a range of measures to support high-quality teaching of reading and writing, including for pupils with SEND and dyslexia and those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme and the publication of both the reading and writing frameworks.
The Curriculum and Assessment Review considered how the curriculum and assessment system can better support the progress and attainment of all pupils, including those with SEND. In its response, the government committed to developing evidence-led resources to support curriculum adaptation, embedding high-quality adaptive teaching and formative assessment throughout teacher training, and working with Ofqual and exam boards to ensure accessibility is fully considered in the development of qualifications, including GCSEs.
We are carefully reviewing and considering all responses submitted to the SEND Reform consultation and continue to engage widely on our proposals. We will publish a response to the consultation in due course and bring forward legislation at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government how the proposals in the SEND reform: putting children and young people first consultation will ensure that dyslexic children can achieve and thrive in mainstream schools.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department’s reforms are designed to enable all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) including those with dyslexia to succeed.
We are providing £1.6 billion of additional funding to mainstream settings through an Inclusive Mainstream Fund to help settings identify commonly occurring needs and take meaningful steps to improve everyday support. Schools and colleges will also be able to direct funding to develop targeted support for those who need them, such as group interventions, without formal assessment or diagnosis.
Clear statutory duties for schools will also be introduced to identify and meet needs as early as possible and ensure the progress of children and young people is monitored to ensure timely and effective interventions.
To ensure teachers, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with special educational needs, we are investing £200 million of new funding to upskill staff and promote an inclusive culture.
We have also introduced a range of measures to support high-quality teaching of reading and writing, including for pupils with SEND and dyslexia and those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme and the publication of both the reading and writing frameworks.
The Curriculum and Assessment Review considered how the curriculum and assessment system can better support the progress and attainment of all pupils, including those with SEND. In its response, the government committed to developing evidence-led resources to support curriculum adaptation, embedding high-quality adaptive teaching and formative assessment throughout teacher training, and working with Ofqual and exam boards to ensure accessibility is fully considered in the development of qualifications, including GCSEs.
We are carefully reviewing and considering all responses submitted to the SEND Reform consultation and continue to engage widely on our proposals. We will publish a response to the consultation in due course and bring forward legislation at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to address the attainment gap at GCSE for dyslexic pupils.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department’s reforms are designed to enable all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) including those with dyslexia to succeed.
We are providing £1.6 billion of additional funding to mainstream settings through an Inclusive Mainstream Fund to help settings identify commonly occurring needs and take meaningful steps to improve everyday support. Schools and colleges will also be able to direct funding to develop targeted support for those who need them, such as group interventions, without formal assessment or diagnosis.
Clear statutory duties for schools will also be introduced to identify and meet needs as early as possible and ensure the progress of children and young people is monitored to ensure timely and effective interventions.
To ensure teachers, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with special educational needs, we are investing £200 million of new funding to upskill staff and promote an inclusive culture.
We have also introduced a range of measures to support high-quality teaching of reading and writing, including for pupils with SEND and dyslexia and those at risk of falling behind. This includes the English Hubs programme and the publication of both the reading and writing frameworks.
The Curriculum and Assessment Review considered how the curriculum and assessment system can better support the progress and attainment of all pupils, including those with SEND. In its response, the government committed to developing evidence-led resources to support curriculum adaptation, embedding high-quality adaptive teaching and formative assessment throughout teacher training, and working with Ofqual and exam boards to ensure accessibility is fully considered in the development of qualifications, including GCSEs.
We are carefully reviewing and considering all responses submitted to the SEND Reform consultation and continue to engage widely on our proposals. We will publish a response to the consultation in due course and bring forward legislation at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to collect data on identified special educational needs, including but not limited to dyslexia, dyspraxia, ADHD and autism, to ensure sufficient capacity to successfully support affected individuals going through the education system.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The department collects data on 14 primary need types which can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/complete-the-school-census/data-items-2025-to-2026.
This information is published in two publications, accessible at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england/2025-26 and https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/education-health-and-care-plans/2026.
Information on children and pupils with dyslexia and dyspraxia hyperactive disorder is collected as part of the category of specific learning difficulty as defined by paragraph 6.31 of the current special educational needs code of practice. This category includes a range of conditions, also including dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.
The department is committed to supporting local areas to create high-quality places that are suitable to meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The department wants more children and young people to access the right support in a local mainstream setting, enabling them to learn alongside their peers and siblings, instead of travelling a long way to a special school.
For this reason, we are investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025-2026 and 2029-2030, to support local authorities to provide places for children and young people with SEND, or who require alternative provision across early years settings, schools, and colleges.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to restrict university entrance to those who have passed GCSE English or equivalent.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The government maintains the higher education (HE) system under review to ensure it delivers good outcomes for students and value for money for the taxpayer.
The Office for Students identified some providers recruiting students with insufficient English language proficiency to undertake the rigorous studies that an HE course demands. Students must not be mis-sold courses they are not equipped to undertake.
As announced on 25 June, we will consult in the autumn to canvass views on whether and how the government might introduce a minimum English language requirement for accessing student finance. We will be testing how the government should balance robust standards with supporting access and participation for students from different backgrounds and protected characteristics. We are keen to hear views from a wide range of groups and people, and we will carefully consider the equalities impact before making any changes.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that the Experts at Hand offer will include experts in dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other recognised special educational needs within the neurodiverse spectrum.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
The Experts at Hand offer is primarily focused on providing mainstream settings with expert advice and guidance from education and healthcare experts to help them identify and meet a range of special educational needs including neurodiverse conditions. This includes strengthening early identification and supporting more effective and inclusive practice.
Experts at Hand works alongside existing statutory provision and does not replace established school led approaches or specialist one-to-one services, including speech and language therapy and occupational therapy.
Experts at Hand is in addition to enhanced teacher and support staff training to ensure all schools can provide a high-quality universal offer, and new National Inclusion Standards supporting teachers to use evidence-based strategies to identify and respond to pupils' needs.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure dyslexia, dyscalculia, and other commonly used terms are used when communicating with pupils and teachers regarding support packages for students with special educational needs.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Access to support should not be dependent on a child or young person having a diagnosis, and a diagnosis alone does not help a teacher know what strategies to use to support that child in the classroom.
The department is clear that teachers and educators should use plain English and commonly understood terms when communicating support for children and young people with special educational needs.
As part of our special educational needs and disabilities reforms, we will place a duty on settings to produce an Individual Support Plan (ISP) for any child or young person receiving targeted, targeted plus or specialist support. ISPs will be developed by settings together with parents and young people, giving every child or young person receiving targeted or specialist support a clear and consistent record of their needs and the help they receive.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that the support granted to those with an Education and Health Care Plan continues under the proposals in the Schools White Paper, and how this will be monitored.
Answered by Baroness Smith of Malvern - Minister of State (Department for Work and Pensions)
Under our proposed reforms, education, health and care (EHC) plans will continue, guaranteeing statutory entitlements to education and health provision, and will be reviewed regularly. Educational provision in reformed EHC plans will be underpinned by evidence-based, nationally consistent specialist provision packages. Any child with an EHC plan as of the legislation’s commencement date will retain their EHC plan and associated provision until they finish their current phase of education, or choose to move to the new system. Children with an EHC plan in the early years will retain their EHC plan and associated provision until they finish the primary phase, when it will be reviewed.
The Children’s Commissioner will have a role in providing independent oversight, monitoring and scrutiny of the implementation of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform. Other reforms will improve and strengthen processes for resolving individual complaints relating to SEND provision, with the tribunal remaining as the legal backstop for the most fundamental EHC plan decisions.