Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress her Department has made on introducing mandatory training on hidden disabilities for all (a) school, (b) further education and (c) higher education staff.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
High quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes for all children, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
The Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework and Early Career Framework, for trainees and early career teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and are underpinned by the most up-to-date evidence. From September 2025 they will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by ITT providers to create their curricula. All ECTs will be entitled to a two-year induction underpinned by the ITTECF which will be known as the Early Career Teacher Entitlement (ECTE).
During the department’s review which led to the development of the ITTECF, particular attention was paid to the evidence base and needs of trainees and ECTs when supporting pupils with SEND. There is now significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, including those with neurodiversity.
The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential and have recently committed to a full review of the ECTE in 2027, including the ITTECF, to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for ECTs. This review will include a focus on the support we provide new teachers in teaching pupils with SEND.
School support staff play a vital role in children’s education. They are crucial to ensuring we give children the best possible life chances. The availability of training and career progression opportunities for school support staff helps ensure schools have the skilled staff they need to deliver high quality education. For example, in September 2024 the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) approved a new Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant apprenticeship, allowing teaching assistants to specialise in one of three areas: SEND, Social and Emotional Wellbeing, or Curriculum provision. The apprenticeship will be available for candidates to undertake in 2025.
We recognise the importance of supporting further education (FE) students with complex needs, and the valuable role colleges play in SEND education. We are currently supporting the recruitment and training of SEND specific teachers in FE through:
The department also runs a Universal SEND Services contract to provide SEND-specific professional development and support for the school and FE workforce. The programme helps professionals to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, earlier and more effectively. Since the programme commenced, school and college staff have completed over 20,000 online training modules.
All education and training providers, including universities and other related service providers, have a duty to ensure reasonable adjustments for disabled people, so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students. This includes people with a learning difficulty. This duty is set out under Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, for what reason designated sixth form colleges are not receiving the same funding for staff pay awards as sixth form college academies.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The government is committed to ensuring there is a thriving post-16 sector, which is vital to our missions to break down the barriers to opportunity and boost economic growth.
Sixth form colleges (SFCs), rather than government, are responsible for setting and negotiating the pay of their staff. Colleges are not bound by the national pay and conditions framework for schoolteachers. Along with further education (FE) colleges, SFCs were incorporated under the terms of the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, which gave them autonomy over the pay and contractual terms and conditions of their staff.
Maintained schools and academies are funded on an equivalent basis, meaning 16 to 19 academies received this funding, whilst SFCs that remain in the FE sector did not. All SFCs have been free to apply to convert to academy status since 2022.
At the Autumn Budget 2024, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer set out an additional £300 million revenue funding for FE in the 2025/26 financial year to ensure young people are gaining the education and skills this country needs. The department has recently announced that it is making approximately £50 million of this funding available to statutory FE providers, including SFCs, for April to July 2025. This one-off grant will enable colleges and SFCs to respond to current priorities and challenges as they see fit, including workforce recruitment and retention.
The remaining funding will be made available in 16 to 19 funding rates for the 2025/26 academic year, with the aim of ensuring that all 16 to 19 providers are funded on an equitable basis from 2025 to 2026.
This builds on the department’s investment to extend targeted retention incentive payments of up to £6,000 after tax to eligible early career FE teachers, including SFC teachers, in key subject areas. The department is also delivering funding to support those young people who do not pass mathematics and English GCSE at 16, who are predominantly studying in FE.
The department will continue to offer financial incentives for those undertaking teacher training for the FE sector in priority subject areas. We confirmed that FE teacher training bursaries will be offered for a further year, worth up to £31,000 each, tax free in the 2025/26 academic year.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to paragraph 3.46 of the Autumn Budget 2024, published on 30 October, how she plans to distribute the £300 million for further education in England.
Answered by Janet Daby - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
This government is committed to driving economic growth and supporting opportunity for all, and further education (FE) is central to this. The government is providing an additional £300 million for FE to ensure young people are developing the skills they need to succeed, and an additional £300 million to support colleges to maintain, improve and ensure suitability of their estate. This funding will benefit all FE colleges. We will set out how the additional funding will be distributed in due course.
Asked by: Danny Chambers (Liberal Democrat - Winchester)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children with cerebral palsy attend mainstream schools.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell - Minister of State (Education)
The department does not hold statistics on how many children with cerebral palsy attend mainstream schools.