Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps he is taking to ensure staff working in specialist deaf education settings have access to appropriate professional (a) development and (b) support.

Children and young people with sensory impairments can be taught in both mainstream and special schools. Through our proposed special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reforms, we aim to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, whilst also ensuring special schools are able to cater to those with more complex needs.

Our £200 million investment in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) training represents an ambitious and comprehensive SEND training offer for staff.

And we are developing Specialist Provision Packages to set out the support children with complex needs, including those with sensory impairment, require. The Specialist Provision Packages will outline the support children should receive including requirements for the methods of supporting children with hearing impairment. We are developing these packages with experts and will test them with families.