Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of progress in improvement to special educational needs and disability provisions in Birmingham since the introduction of a SEND Commissioner in October 2021.

Since his appointment, the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Commissioner, John Coughlan, has been working closely with Birmingham City Council and its key partners and stakeholders, including schools, to understand the system challenges that contributed to the local area’s failure to make sufficient progress in all previously identified areas of significant weakness, to assess the council’s capacity and capability to improve services at pace.

Ensuring children and young people with SEND in Birmingham receive the right support when they need it is a priority. The SEND Commissioner is preparing his final report, including recommendations, for the improvement of SEND services. I will consider this carefully upon receipt.