Special Educational Needs: Coronavirus

(asked on 12th October 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that children with special educational needs unable to attend school receive the education that they are statutorily entitled to receive during the covid-19 outbreak.


Answered by
Vicky Ford Portrait
Vicky Ford
This question was answered on 20th October 2020

We now expect the vast majority of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to be back in their education setting and receiving the right support and provision they need.

In a circumstance where a child cannot attend school, including if they need to self-isolate, their teachers are best-placed to know how the pupil’s needs can be most effectively met to ensure they continue to make progress even if they are not able to be in school. The requirement for all schools to use their best endeavours to secure the special educational provision called for by the pupils’ SEND remains in place.

Where a pupil has provision specified within their education, health and care plan, it remains the duty of the local authority and any health bodies to secure the delivery of this in the setting that the plan names. However, in a situation where this is difficult to do so, including where a child or young person is self-isolating, the decisions on how provision can be delivered should be informed by relevant considerations. These considerations include the types of services that the pupil can access remotely, such as online teaching and remote sessions with different types of therapists. These decisions should be considered on a case by case basis, avoiding a one size fits all approach.

Additionally, the department published a temporary continuity direction on 1 October, which makes it clear that schools have a legal duty to provide remote education for all state-funded, school-aged children who are unable to attend school due to COVID-19 in line with guidance and the law. This will come into effect from 22 October and more details are available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/remote-education-temporary-continuity-direction-explanatory-note.

Alongside the Direction, we also published a further remote education support package which is designed to help schools and colleges build on and deliver their existing plans in the event that individuals or groups of pupils, including those with SEND, are unable to attend school because of COVID-19, in line with guidance and the law. This adds to existing support, including resources available from Oak National Academy which includes specialist content for pupils with SEND.

Reticulating Splines