Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to (a) increase and (b) improve training on SEND in the (i) teacher and (ii) classroom assistant training (A) curriculum and (B) classroom practice.

High quality teaching is the single most important in-school factor in improving outcomes for children and it is particularly important for pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The department’s recruitment and retention reforms will support all teachers and we are committed to ensuring that all pupils can achieve and receive excellent support from their teachers.

The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities. The Teachers’ Standards include Standard 1, which requires teachers to set goals that stretch and challenge young people of all backgrounds and abilities, and Standard 5, which requires teachers to adapt teaching to respond to the strengths and needs of all pupils.

Consideration of SEND underpins both the Initial Teacher Training (ITT) Core Content Framework (CCF) and Early Career Framework (ECF) which have been designed around how to support all pupils to succeed, including those pupils identified within the four areas of need set out in the SEND Code of Practice.

The department recently reviewed the mandatory ITT CCF alongside the ECF and particular attention was given to the needs of trainees and early career teachers when supporting pupils with SEND. The new framework includes significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting all pupils with SEND.

The department has also launched a National Professional Qualification for Special Educational Needs Co-ordinators (NPQ for SENCOs) where teachers develop the essential knowledge and skills needed to set the strategic direction of SEN policy in a school and the conditions in which pupils with SEND can thrive.

The availability of training and career progression opportunities for teaching assistants helps ensure schools have the skilled staff they need to deliver high quality education. The Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE) has recently approved a new Level 5 Specialist Teaching Assistant apprenticeship, allowing teaching assistants to specialise in one of three areas, including: SEND, social and emotional wellbeing or curriculum provision. The apprenticeship will be available for candidates to undertake in 2025.