Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance he has issued to special schools on the provision of in-person education for children with education, health and care plans during the covid-19 outbreak.

The department published ‘Guidance for full opening: special schools and other specialist settings’ in July 2020, and this has been regularly updated. This guidance supports special schools and other specialist provision to provide in-person education for children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans. Further information on this guidance is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings.

Due to the national restrictions introduced on 7 January 2021, we published new guidance setting out how we want all schools, including special schools and specialist post 16 provision to operate during this new lockdown. This is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak.

We will continue to update guidance and support in due course, providing more detailed advice and support for special schools.