Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to promote the inclusion of disabled students in schools; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of including in the national curriculum teaching about the life experiences of disabled people.

This government is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools to break down barriers to education, alongside ensuring that special schools can support children with the most complex needs.

The department will strengthen accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive, including through Ofsted, support the mainstream workforce to increase their special educational needs and disabilities expertise, and encourage schools to set up resourced provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools. This is being supported by an additional £740 million for high needs capital in 2025/26. Local authorities can use their high needs capital funding to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings. It can also be used to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings. High needs funding will also increase by almost £1 billion in 2025/26, compared to 2024/25.

The department has created an Expert Advisory Group for Inclusion, led by Tom Rees, to advise myself and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education on how to drive inclusive education practice.

Within a broad framework, set out in subject-specific programmes of study, schools currently have flexibility to organise the content and delivery of the curriculum to meet the needs of their pupils.

The government has established an independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, covering ages 5 to 18, chaired by Professor Becky Francis CBE. The Review will ensure that the curriculum appropriately balances ambition, excellence, relevance, flexibility and inclusivity for all our children and young people.