Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will assess the potential merits of increasing the number of non-pupil days for special needs schools to allow teachers to train to meet pupils' health needs.

We know how important it is that all children are supported to enjoy a full education, and that teachers have had sufficient training to support the pupils in their school. This is particularly important for children who attend special schools, who generally have more complex special educational needs than their peers in mainstream schools and may have health or personal care needs that require support during the school day.

We believe that head teachers and teachers are best placed to judge their own training requirements. That is why decisions relating to the use of non-pupil days and teachers’ professional development rightly rest with schools.