Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure provision of adequate support for children with (a) vision impairment and (b) other low incidence, high needs conditions in schools.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Local authorities in England are required to publish information on the availability of specialist services, as well as information on support commissioned and provided for children and young people with a visual impairment in a local offer. To ensure local needs are met, local authorities must work with children, young people, and their families to develop this.

It is a legal requirement for qualified teachers of pupils with a sensory impairment to hold the relevant mandatory qualification. Providers must be approved by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, to offer these qualifications.

High needs funding, which is specifically for supporting children with more complex special educational needs and disabilities, including those with vision impairment, will be increasing by £1 billion in the 2022/23 financial year. This brings the overall total funding for high needs to £9.1 billion. This unprecedented increase of 13% comes in addition to the £1.5 billion increase over the last two years.