Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that all schools are following statutory guidance on supporting pupils with medical conditions.

In 2014, the government introduced a new duty on schools to support pupils with medical conditions and published statutory guidance, ‘Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions’, available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supporting-pupils-at-school-with-medical-conditions--3.

The guidance is clear that schools, local authorities, health professionals, commissioners and other support services should work together to ensure that children with medical conditions receive a full education.

Ofsted’s Common Inspection Framework requires inspectors, in making judgements upon schools, to pay particular attention to the outcomes of different groups of pupils, including those with medical needs. Ofsted included guidance to inspectors on this matter in its March 2017 school inspection update, available at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/common-inspection-framework-education-skills-and-early-years-from-september-2015.

This guidance reminds inspectors that as part of looking at how a school is supporting the welfare and teaching and learning of pupils with medical conditions the school’s policy on supporting students with medical conditions and its implementation.

Excluding children with medical conditions from participating in extra-curricular activities is unacceptable practice and we expect all children to be included in school life, whatever their needs. It is up to the governing bodies to ensure that arrangements are in place in schools to support pupils with medical conditions. Where parents have concerns over the support their child is receiving we encourage them to raise the matter with the school. If they feel that the school is not meeting its obligations, they have recourse to make a complaint through the school’s complaint process.