Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if her Department will make an assessment of the potential merits of (a) including training on (i) dyslexia and (ii) neurodiversity in mandatory Continuing Professional Development requirements for teachers and (b) requiring Ofsted to consider that training in school inspections.

The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions. The government is focusing on improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and is working with families and education and care experts to deliver this in the best interests of all children and to restore parents’ trust

The teachers’ standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, including those with dyslexia and other neurodiverse conditions. All initial teacher training (ITT) providers must ensure that their courses enable trainee teachers to meet the teachers’ standards, to be recommended for the award of qualified teacher status

The ITT core content framework (CCF) and early career framework (ECF), set out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching and cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They will be superseded by the combined initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF) from September 2025.

The department’s review of content for the ITTECF paid particular attention to the needs of trainees and early career teachers (ECTs) when supporting pupils with SEND. There is now significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, some of which has been adapted from the new National Professional Qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators to be relevant for trainees and ECTs.

The ITTECF deliberately does not detail approaches specific to particular additional needs but sets out what makes the most effective teaching for all pupils, including those with SEND. When reviewing the CCF and the ECF in 2023, the department tested this approach with SEND educational experts from the ITT sector and beyond, with consensus that the needs of most children can be met through high-quality teaching.

The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential and have recently committed to a full review of the Early Career Teacher Entitlement in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for ECTs. This review will focus on the support we provide new teachers in teaching pupils with SEND.

Beyond the ITTECF, decisions relating to teachers’ professional development rest with schools, headteachers and teachers themselves, as they are in the best position to judge their own requirements. The ‘School teacher pay and conditions’ document, which applies to maintained schools, confirms that all teachers should have access to advice, training and developmental opportunities appropriate to their needs.

The focus of Ofsted inspections is on schools and how all the individuals within them work together to make sure that children receive the highest possible quality of education. The focus is not on inspecting the specific individuals that work in schools. Ofsted therefore does not require schools to provide any evidence of teachers’ professional development. However, as part of their leadership and management judgement, inspectors will consider whether continuing professional development for teachers and staff is aligned with the curriculum.