Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether he plans to make an assessment of the adequacy of support provided to registered disabled students (a) at and (b) about to enter further or higher education.

Higher education providers (HEPs) are responsible under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments and offer other support for disabled students to ensure they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students.

Disabled students should have their needs met through inclusive learning practices and individual reasonable adjustments made by their HEP. We expect HEPs to take primary responsibility for less specialist non-medical help. Information on the ways in which HEPs offer such support can be found at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/rereports/year/2017/modelsofsupport/.

Disabled Students’ Allowances (DSAs) provide valuable, more specialist support for eligible disabled students, enabling them to participate in higher education alongside non-disabled students. The department has commissioned a research project to explore the impact of DSAs on eligible students.

Further education providers also have responsibilities under the Equality Act 2010 to support disabled students. Ofsted and Care Quality Commission jointly inspect local areas to see how well they fulfil their responsibilities for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Outcome letters from 53 local areas have been published to date.

Individual post-16 institutions are inspected by Ofsted, who may grade and report on provision for high needs learners. These learners are defined as young people aged 16-18, or aged 19-24 with an Education Health and Care plan, who require additional support over £6,000.