Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, in what way the £200 million investment in SEND training will be allocated to improve mainstream school staff expertise in supporting deaf and hearing-impaired pupils; and what proportion is ring-fenced for sensory impairment training specifically.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The proposed special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms aim to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, whilst also ensuring specialist settings are able to cater for those with more complex needs.
Our £200 million investment in SEND training represents an ambitious and comprehensive SEND and inclusion training offer for mainstream staff across early years settings, schools and colleges. The department has not ring-fenced a specific proportion of the £200 million investment for sensory impairment training.
Instead, the programme is being designed to support staff to identify needs early and put in place support to address a broad range of barriers to learning, including across the five proposed areas of development.
Additionally, the department is investing around £1.8 billion over three years to develop a new Experts at Hand offer, giving mainstream settings access to specialist support from key health and education professionals. This may include specialist teachers with expertise in sensory needs, who can provide advice, coaching and practical support to help mainstream staff identify and meet pupils’ needs earlier.
We are also developing specialist provision packages to set out the support children with the most complex needs require. This includes children with complex sensory impairments. The packages will outline the support these children should receive, including approaches to supporting children with hearing impairments. An independent expert panel has been appointed to oversee the development of these packages.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that local authorities take account of the needs of children and young people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome when assessing, reviewing and implementing Education, Health and Care Plans.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The department has consulted on reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system so that every child and young person receives the support they require. Our proposals include strengthening the education, health and care (EHC) needs assessment process so that it is clearer, simpler and reflects the voice of parents/carers and the child or young person. We will consider feedback from the consultation exercise carefully before making any final decisions on this policy.
A child or young person with SEND may be eligible for an EHC plan. Where a plan is issued to someone with myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome, it will contain provision to meet their special educational needs and any relevant health needs.
When a local authority conducts a needs assessment or reviews an existing plan, it must seek information and advice from relevant health professionals. This helps to ensure that all EHC plans will contain support tailored to the individual’s particular health needs.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans she has to ensure the proposed Specialist Provision Packages set out requirements for supporting children with hearing impairment; and by what date she expects these packages to be published.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Specialist provision packages are descriptions of support for children and young people with the most complex needs, who require long-term specialist provision. This includes children and young people with hearing impairments where appropriate, with packages covering the full range of support required to meet their needs.
An independent expert panel has been appointed to oversee the development of the specialist provision packages. The panel will engage with stakeholders to make sure its work is informed by a wide range of views and lived experience.
The packages will be published prior to the special educational needs and disabilities reform implementation and will be subject to regular review.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the number of additional qualified teachers of the deaf required to deliver the new GCSE in British Sign Language; and what steps she is taking to address the shortfall of 200 teachers identified by the National Deaf Children's Society.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The British Sign Language (BSL) GCSE is a key feature of our commitment to enhancing the status of BSL in education and society.
Following the publication of Ofqual's final qualification rules, awarding organisations are now able to develop detailed specifications that will form the basis of the content taught in schools and colleges. These specifications will need to be accredited by Ofqual before the GCSE can be made available for delivery.
We are working closely with stakeholders from the deaf community and across the school sector to discuss and develop workforce options so that school leaders can access a high-quality teaching workforce when this new GCSE is taught in schools.
Teachers who teach a class of pupils who are deaf are required to hold the relevant mandatory qualification in sensory impairment. Teachers that work peripatetically to support deaf children should also hold the qualification. Alongside the academic route, there is a sensory impairment apprenticeship, offering a paid, work-based route into teaching children and young people who have a hearing impairment.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions she has had with the Office for Students on the adequacy of governance and consultation processes at universities undertaking large-scale restructuring programmes.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
Higher education (HE) providers are independent from government and are responsible for managing their business models, including decisions relating to staffing. The department encourages providers to work with their staff to develop sustainable models that retain talent and expertise and provide stability for the workforce and the institution. All efficiency measures taken by the sector should provide long-term value for staff, students and the country.
The Post-16 Education and Skills White paper sets out the government’s ambition for stronger governance in the HE sector.
We welcome the Committee of University Chairs' new Code of Governance, published in June, which sets clear and robust expectations for accountability, transparency and effective oversight across the sector. We will also support the Office for Students’ strengthening of its management and governance conditions of registration.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has assessed the effectiveness of the academy trust governance framework in ensuring that community and family engagement is prioritised by academy trusts.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Academy trusts should have reserved places for parents, carers or other individuals with parental responsibility within their governance structure. Single academy trusts should have at least two such places on the trust board. Multi-academy trusts should have at least two such places on the board or on each local committee, where they are established. Trusts should hold elections to fill these places as appropriate.
The department has not issued guidance allowing for the removal of parents from trust governance arrangements where a school is underperforming. Trusts are expected to maintain the governance arrangements that are set out in their articles of association, funding agreement and the Academy Trust Handbook.
Expectations for high-quality governance are set out in the Trust Quality Descriptions, which identify effective engagement with parents, carers and local communities as a feature of high-quality trusts. These expectations will be renewed through new Trust Standards. In addition, the department has committed to publishing minimum expectations on parental engagement for schools, which trust boards will oversee.
As set out in the Schools White Paper, the government intends to consult on requiring academy trusts to have local governance structures covering all their schools, helping to ensure that trust boards hear directly from parents and school communities. We will also be introducing Ofsted inspection of trusts.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has issued guidance on the length of time parental representation can be excluded within academy trusts where a school is underperforming.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Academy trusts should have reserved places for parents, carers or other individuals with parental responsibility within their governance structure. Single academy trusts should have at least two such places on the trust board. Multi-academy trusts should have at least two such places on the board or on each local committee, where they are established. Trusts should hold elections to fill these places as appropriate.
The department has not issued guidance allowing for the removal of parents from trust governance arrangements where a school is underperforming. Trusts are expected to maintain the governance arrangements that are set out in their articles of association, funding agreement and the Academy Trust Handbook.
Expectations for high-quality governance are set out in the Trust Quality Descriptions, which identify effective engagement with parents, carers and local communities as a feature of high-quality trusts. These expectations will be renewed through new Trust Standards. In addition, the department has committed to publishing minimum expectations on parental engagement for schools, which trust boards will oversee.
As set out in the Schools White Paper, the government intends to consult on requiring academy trusts to have local governance structures covering all their schools, helping to ensure that trust boards hear directly from parents and school communities. We will also be introducing Ofsted inspection of trusts.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of parental representation and involvement in governance arrangements within academy trusts.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
Academy trusts should have reserved places for parents, carers or other individuals with parental responsibility within their governance structure. Single academy trusts should have at least two such places on the trust board. Multi-academy trusts should have at least two such places on the board or on each local committee, where they are established. Trusts should hold elections to fill these places as appropriate.
The department has not issued guidance allowing for the removal of parents from trust governance arrangements where a school is underperforming. Trusts are expected to maintain the governance arrangements that are set out in their articles of association, funding agreement and the Academy Trust Handbook.
Expectations for high-quality governance are set out in the Trust Quality Descriptions, which identify effective engagement with parents, carers and local communities as a feature of high-quality trusts. These expectations will be renewed through new Trust Standards. In addition, the department has committed to publishing minimum expectations on parental engagement for schools, which trust boards will oversee.
As set out in the Schools White Paper, the government intends to consult on requiring academy trusts to have local governance structures covering all their schools, helping to ensure that trust boards hear directly from parents and school communities. We will also be introducing Ofsted inspection of trusts.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what progress she has made on responding to the recommendations of the Law Commission's review of disabled children's social care.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
In line with the protocol agreed between the Lord Chancellor and the Law Commission, the department provided an initial response to these recommendations within six months of publication. This will be followed by a full response within 12 months, which will set out how government will address the issues raised by the Law Commission.
Asked by: James Naish (Labour - Rushcliffe)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what support her Department provides to universities seeking to deliver antisemitism awareness training and initiatives that celebrate Jewish life on campus.
Answered by Josh MacAlister - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department for Education)
The department is supporting the sector to tackle antisemitism and ensure Jewish students can participate fully in university life.
We have committed £7 million to the Tackling Antisemitism in Education programme, which includes support for universities to improve understanding of antisemitism, respond effectively to incidents, and strengthen policies and procedures that promote respect and tolerance.
As part of this programme, the Union of Jewish Students has been appointed to deliver training and resources for universities between 2025 and 2028. Palace Yard will also be commencing a scholarship programme, to include university staff, in the autumn.
The department has also provided £500,000 to University Jewish Chaplaincy to strengthen welfare support for Jewish students.
We expect higher education providers to foster environments in which Jewish students feel safe, welcome and able to celebrate Jewish life on campus, free from discrimination and harassment.