Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the requirement for under 18s to retake (a) English and (b) Maths GCSE on children with complex SEND.

The department knows that English and mathematics brings significant gains to all students, including children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) by improving their employment prospects and access to qualifications at Level 3 and beyond. The mathematics and English condition of funding supports students who do not attain Level 2 English and mathematics qualifications at 16 by requiring them to continue to study these subjects as part of their 16-19 study programme or T Level. Where a student is not able to study GCSE or Functional Skills, they should be supported to achieve a stepping-stone qualification at an appropriate lower level. As the mathematics and English condition of funding is a study requirement, the focus is on supporting students to continue studying and learning these skills.

If a student wishes to re-take their Level 2 English and/or mathematics exam, they should do so when they and their institution think they are ready. The department will continue to assess the impacts of the condition of funding policy to understand where improvements can be made, including talking to lead sector bodies to understand the impacts on students with SEND. In parallel, the Curriculum and Assessment Review will look at ensuring all young people aged 16-19 have an excellent foundation in English and mathematics and how best to support 16 to 19 year olds who currently do not achieve a Level 2 qualification in these subjects by 16.