Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what training in (a) special educational needs and disabilities and (b) speech, language and communication tutors receive as part of the National tutoring programme.
Answered by Robin Walker
A free online training course focusing on best practice tutoring is available to all school staff who are nominated as tutors by their school leaders. The training is mandatory for any staff who do not hold Qualified Teacher Status.
The curriculum covers core topics including how to adapt tutoring for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
When selecting tuition partners for the current academic year, the programme is inviting applications from providers with relevant experience in working with children with SEND in both mainstream and specialist settings, so that as many pupils as possible can be supported. In total, 26 of the current 41 tuition partners specialise in supporting students with SEND, with more providers being asked to apply as part of the second round of applications. We will be looking to accredit more tuition partners with special needs expertise throughout this year.
Additional weighting has been applied to the funding of special schools and units in recognition of the higher per pupil costs they face for tutoring. For these schools, the department has estimated that a 15 hour package of tuition will cost £705 per pupil, which averages £47 per hour per pupil. The department will subsidise 75% of this, with special schools and units funding the remaining 25% through other budgets.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will have discussion with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on the merits of using the NHS Number as a single unique identifier for children.
Answered by Robin Walker
The primary identifiers for education are the unique pupil number for school aged pupils and the unique learner number for post-16 and adult education. These identifiers are developed to provide operational and analytical linkage between departments, and sector facing services, and are essential for delivery of policy and operational analysis both within the department and the wider sector.
However, the department is continually analysing the effectiveness of its unique identifiers for stages in education and will work with colleagues across government, including from the Department of Health and Social Care, on improving the effectiveness of how identifiers contribute to the broader interoperability of data across our shared domains and the life events of citizens. This will include consideration of the merits of greater use of the NHS number as an identifier for children.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans his Department has to mark Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day on 15 October 2021.
Answered by Will Quince
Developmental Language Disorder (DLD) Awareness Day on 15 October 2021 is an important opportunity to raise awareness of DLD. It is key that schools are aware of how to best support pupils diagnosed with DLD.
The department will be highlighting Developmental Language Disorder Awareness Day to schools through its communication routes and encouraging settings to draw on best practice to support pupils with DLD.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Government's announcement of 3 February 2021 on the appointment of the Education Recovery Commissioner, what plans the Commissioner has to ensure that there is a comprehensive programme of catch-up for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs whose support and learning may have been impacted by school closures during the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The Government is committed to helping children and young people recover education lost as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
In June 2020, the Department announced a catch-up package worth £1 billion, including a ‘Catch Up Premium’ worth a total of £650 million to support schools to make up for lost teaching time and £350 million for the National Tutoring Programme.
In January 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, also committed a further £300 million for tutoring and to engage with parents, pupils and teachers to develop and deliver a plan to help all pupils catch up over the course of this Parliament.
To support the Government with this, the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, have appointed Sir Kevan Collins as the Education Recovery Commissioner. Sir Kevan will advise ministers on the best approach for education recovery, with a particular focus on helping all pupils catch up on learning lost as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.
We know that one size does not fit all and will be looking at how interventions can address the individual needs of pupils, including those with speech, language and communication needs.
We will set out more detailed plans in due course.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Health and Social Care and (b) Secretary of State for Justice on the recommendation that Government should be levelling up on spending on speech and language therapy around the country as set out in the Children’s Commissioner’s report, Still not safe: The public health response to youth violence, published in February 2021.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Spending on speech and language therapy is determined at a local level.
We do not prescribe in detail how local authorities should allocate their high needs funding, but local authorities and schools have statutory duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those who require speech and language therapies.
The department remains committed to continuous improvement. The cross-government SEND Review was announced in September 2019 and is looking at ways to make sure the SEND system is consistent, high quality, and integrated across education, health, and care. It is also considering measures to make sure that money is being spent fairly, efficiently, and effectively, and that the support available to children and young people is sustainable in the future.
The SEND Review is looking at ways to support mainstream settings to identify and get support to children and young people more quickly, through making best use of precious expertise such as speech and language therapists and educational psychologists. These issues are long-standing and complex, but the government is determined to deliver real, lasting change. We intend to publish the SEND Review in spring 2021.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the Prime Minister's announcement of 3 February 2021 on the appointment of the Youth Mental Health Ambassador, what plans the (a) Ambassador has and (b) Mental Health in Education Action Group have to ensure the (i) identification of and (ii) appropriate support for children and young people with speech, language and communication needs.
Answered by Vicky Ford
The Mental Health in Education Action Group will look at the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the mental health and wellbeing of children, young people and staff in nurseries, schools, colleges, and universities. It will consider how to support mental wellbeing while children and young people are being taught remotely, as they return to education settings and with transitions period between education settings in September 2021.
In the first instance we will engage with health experts to bring together the evidence of impact on children and young people, identify the existing range of support and how to make sure it is easy to access and has the greatest possible impact. The department will also engage with education stakeholders, including staff and leadership unions, to ensure that we understand the issues that are facing staff in nurseries, schools, colleges, and universities and how those can be supported in the coming months. We will also work with the existing higher education task force to ensure that the issues it is considering around mental health are reflected. Further information about the remit of the group will be available in due course, but it will look at the specific mental health and wellbeing issues faced by children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including children with speech, language and communication needs.
The SEND Review was announced in September 2019 and is looking at ways to make sure the SEND system is consistent, high quality, and integrated across education, health, and care. It is also considering measures to make sure that money is being spent fairly, efficiently, and effectively, and that the support available to children and young people is sustainable in the future. The SEND Review is looking at ways to support mainstream settings to identify and get support to children and young people more quickly, through making best use of precious expertise such as speech and language therapists and educational psychologists. These issues are long-standing and complex, but the government is determined to deliver real, lasting change. We intend to publish the SEND Review in spring 2021.
On the 4 February 2021, my right hon. Friend, the Prime Minister, appointed Dr Alex George as Youth Mental Health Ambassador to advise the government and raise the profile of mental health education and wellbeing in schools, colleges, and universities. As Youth Mental Health Ambassador, he will use his clinical expertise and personal experience to champion the government’s work on children’s and young people’s mental health, and help shape policy on improving support for young people in schools, colleges, and universities.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if he will make it his policy to issue an update of the Building Bulletin 101:'Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools for (a) BS EN ISO 16890:2016, (b) BS EN ISO 10121-2:2013 and (c) BS EN 16798-3:2017.
Answered by Nick Gibb
The design and construction standards for new school buildings are under regular review to reflect any changes in regulations or best practice nationally. There are no plans at present to update Building Bulletin 101 'Guidelines on ventilation, thermal comfort and indoor air quality in schools' which was published in 2019.
We published guidance on 3 June on the reopening of buildings and campuses to help providers make informed decisions about their provision in ways that protect the health and well-being of both staff and students. Our guidance contains links to other sources of relevant advice, including on safer workplaces: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-coronavirus-covid-19, which includes references to the importance of ventilation, particularly in advance of reopening buildings.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to ensure that funding is allocated to local authority areas to enable evidence-based catch-up interventions for children and young people’s speech, language and communication needs; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Vicky Ford
In 2020-21, we are allocating £7.2 billion in high needs funding across England for children with complex special educational needs and disabilities, which includes those with speech, language and communication needs.
Specifically, in response to COVID-19, we are introducing an additional catch-up premium worth a total of £650 million to support schools to rise to make up for lost teaching time. Our expectation is that this funding will be spent on the additional activities required to support children to catch up after a period of disruption to their education. Headteachers will decide how the universal catch up premium is spent to best meet the needs of their pupils. The Education Endowment Foundation has published guidance on effective interventions to support schools:
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-resources/covid-19-support-guide-for-schools/.
We will set out how this funding will be distributed between individual schools shortly.
Local authorities’ core allocations to support children with high needs in 2021-22 will also be published shortly.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to ensure that speech and language therapy services are adequately resourced to enable services to tackle the level of referrals as a result of the reopening of education and childcare settings.
Answered by Vicky Ford
In 2020-21, we are allocating £7.2 billion in high needs funding across England for children with complex special educational needs and disabilities, which includes those with speech, language and communication needs.
Specifically, in response to COVID-19, we are introducing an additional catch-up premium worth a total of £650 million to support schools to rise to make up for lost teaching time. Our expectation is that this funding will be spent on the additional activities required to support children to catch up after a period of disruption to their education. Headteachers will decide how the universal catch up premium is spent to best meet the needs of their pupils. The Education Endowment Foundation has published guidance on effective interventions to support schools:
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-resources/covid-19-support-guide-for-schools/.
We will set out how this funding will be distributed between individual schools shortly.
Local authorities’ core allocations to support children with high needs in 2021-22 will also be published shortly.
Asked by: Geraint Davies (Independent - Swansea West)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans he has to ensure that (a) children’s early language and communication development and (b) the timely identification and support for speech, language and communication needs are prioritised in (a) local and (b) national covid-19 recovery plans.
Answered by Vicky Ford
Supporting the most vulnerable children and young people, including those with speech, language and communication needs (SLCN), is a priority for us, especially at this time. Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, educational settings have been asked to ensure that vulnerable children and young people can attend where appropriate.
Local authorities are responsible for their own strategic planning and have statutory requirements to offer SLCN provision where a child or young person requires it as part of their education, health and care (EHC) plan. Since May, as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, it has been necessary to modify the duty on local authorities and health commissioners so that they could use their ‘reasonable endeavours’ to secure or arrange the specified special educational and health care provision in EHC plans. However, we are committed to removing these flexibilities as soon as possible and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has confirmed that, unless the evidence changes, he will not be issuing further national notices to modify this duty.
We have also been working to support early language and communication development specifically. Since 2018, we have committed more than £60 million to programmes to improve early language and literacy. We will work with the sector to explore how best to continue to support children’s early development, including through the Early Years Foundation Stage reforms and the department’s Hungry Little Minds campaign, which we will continue to use to provide support for parents to develop their children’s early language and literacy.
More widely, we are ensuring that resources are available. We have announced a package worth £1 billion to ensure that schools across England have the resources they need to help all pupils make up for lost teaching time, with extra support for those who need it most. £650 million will be spent on ensuring all pupils have the chance to catch up and supporting schools to rise to the challenge. For pupils with complex needs, we strongly encourage schools to spend this funding on catch-up support to address their individual needs, which could include speech and language therapy where appropriate. We will set out how this funding will be distributed between individual schools shortly.
We will also roll out a National Tutoring Programme, worth up to £350 million, which will deliver one-to-one tuition to the most disadvantaged young people. More details are available here:
https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/covid-19-resources/national-tutoring-programme/.
We are providing the Oak National Academy with an additional £4.3 million to produce another 10,000 lessons over the course of the next academic year. This includes for the Oak National Academy's specialist curriculum, which includes speech and language therapy.