Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to ensure that children with additional needs are adequately supported in mainstream schools.

The department is determined that all children and young people receive the support they need to benefit from their education and progress to the next stage of their lives. All teachers should be confident in identifying and supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). The SEND code of practice: 0-25 Years (2015) sets out what schools should do to fulfil their duties to identify and support all children with SEND, regardless of whether they have an Education, Health and Care plan.

The department published the SEND and Alternative Provision improvement plan in March 2023. Quality teaching and support are vital for children with SEND, including those in mainstream schools, to reach their full potential. We will introduce a new leadership level special educational needs coordinator national professional qualification for schools. The department is also taking steps to build teacher expertise in meeting the needs of children with SEND through a review of the initial teacher training core content framework and early career framework.

The most recent Ofsted education inspection framework also places greater emphasis on what schools are doing to support children and young people with SEND to progress and achieve their goals.

All local authorities are subject to robust SEND inspections, and Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission have just commenced a strengthened local inspection framework, which places greater emphasis on the experiences and outcomes of children and young people and their families. Where local authorities are failing, the department works with them, using a range of improvement programmes and support from SEND specialist advisers, to address weaknesses