Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support (a) children with SEND and (b) their parents, families and carers in the Aylesbury constituency.

The department is continuing to support and challenge Buckinghamshire to improve delivery of special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services.

The last local area SEND inspection by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) for Buckinghamshire was in March 2022, during which inspectors identified three areas of significant weakness. A written statement of action to address these areas of weakness was accepted by Ofsted and CQC. The department’s regional team has put in place systems to track outcomes against these areas of weakness and the progress made by children and young people with SEND, including regular review meetings. Buckinghamshire Council are committed to working closely with the department to improve services.

Buckinghamshire is taking part in the Delivering Better Value (DBV) in SEND Programme. The DBV in SEND Programme, established under the previous government, aims to help local authorities provide more effective SEND services by meeting the needs of children and young people at an early stage and with the right level of support.

Buckinghamshire is part of the most recent national competition to find multi-academy trusts to run 18 additional special schools. The competition was launched before the election and the window for application has just closed.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with SEND or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department will be focusing on a community-wide approach to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools as well as to ensure that special schools cater to those with the most complex needs.