Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure that the SEND focus group supporting the development of the early career framework for teachers includes an expert in speech, language and communication needs.

The department is working closely with the teaching profession to develop the early career framework. Teachers and academics with expertise in supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) are closely involved in the design of the framework. The framework will have at its centre approaches that support the needs of all pupils, including those pupils with the four areas of need set out in the SEND Code of Practice. We will continue to work with the sector, including individuals with expertise in speech, language and communication to develop the framework and will publish further information in due course.