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Written Question
Hearing Impairment: Children
Tuesday 26th March 2024

Asked by: Christian Wakeford (Labour - Bury South)

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made of the adequacy of access to auditory-visual therapy for deaf children; and what steps she is taking to ensure sufficient access to that therapy as part of SEND support in schools.

Answered by David Johnston - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)

The department’s ambition is that all children and young people, no matter their needs, receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life.

The department is creating a new single national special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision system for how needs are identified and met across education, health and care. This new single national system will set standards on what support should be made available in mainstream settings, including for children with hearing impairments.

Early intervention of SEND can allow children to thrive and the early years sector plays an important role in ensuring that the right support is put in place for children as they prepare for school. That is why Level 2 and 3 early years educator qualifications include SEND content. Alongside this, the Early Years Education Recovery Programme includes training for up to 7,000 early years special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) and a variety of training offers with SEND content, including Child Development Training and the national professional qualification in early years leadership.

The department is committed to ensuring a steady supply of teachers of children with hearing impairments in both specialist and mainstream settings. To teach a class of pupils with hearing impairments, a teacher is required to hold the relevant Mandatory Qualification for Sensory Impairment (MQSI). There are currently six providers of the MQSI, with a seventh from September 2024. In addition, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) is developing a new occupational standard for teachers of Sensory Impairment, expected to be available from September 2025. Finally, children and young people with special educational needs have more access to assistive technology (AT) following investment in remote education and accessibility features, which can reduce or remove barriers to learning.

Division Vote (Commons)
18 Mar 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Christian Wakeford (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 181 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 322 Noes - 249
Division Vote (Commons)
18 Mar 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Christian Wakeford (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 179 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 320 Noes - 250
Division Vote (Commons)
18 Mar 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Christian Wakeford (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 181 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 324 Noes - 251
Division Vote (Commons)
18 Mar 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Christian Wakeford (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 181 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 328 Noes - 250
Division Vote (Commons)
18 Mar 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Christian Wakeford (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 180 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 320 Noes - 251
Division Vote (Commons)
18 Mar 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Christian Wakeford (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 181 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 318 Noes - 255
Division Vote (Commons)
18 Mar 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Christian Wakeford (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 180 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 321 Noes - 252
Division Vote (Commons)
18 Mar 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Christian Wakeford (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 182 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 324 Noes - 253
Division Vote (Commons)
18 Mar 2024 - Safety of Rwanda (Asylum and Immigration) Bill - View Vote Context
Christian Wakeford (Lab) voted No - in line with the party majority and against the House
One of 180 Labour No votes vs 0 Labour Aye votes
Vote Tally: Ayes - 312 Noes - 255