Josh Dean

The department is supporting mainstream schools to take a more evidence‑based approach to early identification of need, including social, emotional and mental health needs.

We are developing National Inclusion Standards, backed by up to £15 million, which will provide schools with evidence‑based identification tools and approaches, including a digital library to support consistent, data‑driven assessment. We are also funding UKRI‑led research to improve early identification and needs assessment methods, to be rolled out by 2028.

Schools are being incentivised through the £1.6 billion Inclusive Mainstream Fund, helping them invest in early intervention and targeted support without requiring an education, health and care plan.

The new ‘Experts at Hand’ offer, backed by £1.8 billion of investment over the next three years, will enable greater access to expert advice and support from education and health professionals, including educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and outreach from specialist settings including alternative provision, into mainstream schools, early years settings, and colleges.

We are also introducing digital Individual Support Plans and a duty on schools to identify and meet needs early.

Inclusion bases will have specialisms, providing tailored and expert teaching and support for specific groups of children. We know there are lots of great examples of mainstream schools delivering specialist provision through inclusion bases, enabling children to benefit and remain part of mainstream education and wider school life.

Support bases, commissioned by individual settings and trusts will deliver ‘targeted plus’ support, whilst specialist bases, commissioned by the local authority, will deliver ‘specialist’ support.

We will shortly be publishing guidance to help mainstream settings implement high quality inclusion bases, including the importance of supporting integration.

Ofsted consider published destinations data as part of the inspection methodology when they gather inspection evidence to determine grades. The current data collection would not enable destination outcomes to be tracked in this way. Instead, inspectors will explore the extent to which inclusion bases are used in the best interests of pupils and improving their outcomes, as set out in school inspection operating guide for inspectors.

Inclusion bases will have specialisms, providing tailored and expert teaching and support for specific groups of children. We know there are lots of great examples of mainstream schools delivering specialist provision through inclusion bases, enabling children to benefit and remain part of mainstream education and wider school life.

Support bases, commissioned by individual settings and trusts will deliver ‘targeted plus’ support, whilst specialist bases, commissioned by the local authority, will deliver ‘specialist’ support.

We will shortly be publishing guidance to help mainstream settings implement high quality inclusion bases, including the importance of supporting integration.

Ofsted consider published destinations data as part of the inspection methodology when they gather inspection evidence to determine grades. The current data collection would not enable destination outcomes to be tracked in this way. Instead, inspectors will explore the extent to which inclusion bases are used in the best interests of pupils and improving their outcomes, as set out in school inspection operating guide for inspectors.

The Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and Early Career Framework covers the first three years or more of a teacher’s career. It sets out a minimum entitlement to training for all new teachers and, following a review, now contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

This includes content on how teaching and modelling a range of social and emotional skills, including how to recognise and understand feelings, manage emotions, and sustain positive relationships, can support pupils’ social and emotional development.

ITT providers must also ensure that their courses enable trainee teachers to meet the Teachers’ Standards, to be recommended for qualified teacher status. The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, which includes those with speech and language challenges.

We are investing over £200 million to improve SEND training for all staff across education settings, and developing national inclusion standards to help teachers identify needs and put evidence-based support in place. From September 2026, all staff will have access to new government-backed training, with further courses from 2027.

In previous years, some local authorities have applied to the department to request approval to allocate additional funding for schools with leisure facilities, as ’exceptional circumstances’ funding, within their local funding formulae. The department is not yet in a position to confirm how ’exceptional circumstances’ funding will operate for 2025/26 but will do so in due course.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I provided on 17 March 2026 to question: UIN 119633.

Work helps everyone play active and fulfilling roles in society while building financial security for retirement, and we recognise the wealth of skills and experience that older workers bring both to the workplace and the economy. The Department is committed to supporting people over the age of 50 out of work to return to work through a wide-ranging strategy that promotes inclusion, flexibility, and progression.

We provide additional dedicated support for customers aged 50 and over in Jobcentres, including through our 50PLUS Champions, who ensure that the specific needs of this age group are recognised and met. This includes facilitating engagement with local employers, promoting age inclusive policies, and supporting work coaches to deliver activity locally. We also offer the Midlife MOT, which helps individuals assess their health, skills and finances, and directs them to appropriate guidance to support their return to work. In addition, our Employer and Partnership Teams work closely with local employers and partners to expand the opportunities, training and employment support available to jobseekers aged 50 and over.

As part of our wider plans to Get Britain Working and create a new Jobs and Careers Service, we are reforming employment support to make it more inclusive and better tailored to individuals. This includes strengthening the support we offer to people aged 50 and over to help them move back into good, meaningful work and progress in work.

It is the responsibility of the integrated care boards (ICBs) in England to make appropriate provision to meet the health and care needs of their local population, including providing access to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) assessment and treatment, in line with relevant National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines.

The independent ADHD taskforce, commissioned by NHS England, is bringing together those with lived experience with experts from the National Health Service, education, charity, and justice sectors to get a better understanding of the challenges affecting those with ADHD, including in accessing services and support. An interim report was published on 20 June. The ADHD taskforce's final report is expected to be published later this year, and we will carefully consider its recommendations.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ’A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, was subject to a 12 week public consultation, which closed on 12 February 2026.

The consultation sought views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement, such as those currently on European Communities Association Agreement (ECAA) visas. In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the ECAA route will continue to apply. We will continue to meet our international obligations.

Details of the earned settlement model will now be finalised following the consultation and will be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.

The earned settlement model, proposed in ’A Fairer Pathway to Settlement’, was subject to a 12 week public consultation, which closed on 12 February 2026.

The consultation sought views on whether there should be transitional arrangements for those already on a pathway to settlement, such as those currently on European Communities Association Agreement (ECAA) visas. In the meantime, the current rules for settlement under the ECAA route will continue to apply. We will continue to meet our international obligations.

Details of the earned settlement model will now be finalised following the consultation and will be subject to economic and equality impact assessments, which we have committed to publish in due course.