Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the outcomes of the Early Language Support for Every Child pathfinder sites; and whether she plans to increase funding for these sites beyond the initial two-year period.

The department commissioned an independent evaluation of the Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) programme. The interim evaluation, published in January 2026, found evidence of progress in implementing the programme and emerging benefits from earlier identification and support for children with speech, language and communication needs. It also identified challenges, including workforce capacity, staff training and development, and variation in local delivery.

The programme has been expanded to support up to 20,000 children. The final evaluation will provide further evidence on the programme’s delivery and outcomes.

There are currently no plans to provide further funding to ELSEC pathfinder sites beyond the existing programme period. Learning from ELSEC is being embedded in the wider special educational needs and disabilities reform programme through Experts at Hand. It has informed the Experts at Hand guidance, which identifies the ELSEC model as an approach that local areas may draw on when developing early identification and intervention support for children with speech, language and communication needs.

Through Experts at Hand, local areas can build on relevant features of the ELSEC model when designing their offer to reflect local needs and workforce arrangements.​