Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support the introduction of assistive technology in primary schools in (a) Yeovil constituency, (b) Somerset and (c) England.

The government is committed to increasing awareness and use of assistive technology (AT) in primary schools across England, including in the Yeovil constituency and Somerset.

Firstly, the department is investing in high-quality research to identify barriers to and opportunities for AT use in schools, so that we have a strong evidence base for AT and are able to pilot approaches. This is key to giving schools the right support they need. We published the most recent research report for special schools and colleges in May entitled ‘Developing a competency framework for effective assistive technology training’. The report can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/developing-a-competency-framework-for-effective-assistive-technology-training.

From September 2025, teachers will receive training on effective AT use as part of their initial teacher training. Our programme of research can also inform the development of workforce training aimed at equipping teachers with the necessary skills to effectively use AT.

Secondly, the government is working to improve the multi-agency working of all those involved in supporting pupils to get the AT that they require. The department will soon publish research undertaken with local authority special educational needs teams and local authority health teams, AT suppliers, schools and colleges to identify effective practices when working together to meet pupil need.

Finally, the government is investing £20 million this year to ensure schools can access a fibre internet connection, which includes 27 schools across Somerset. Our investment in infrastructure will ensure that schools can fully harness the opportunities of AT.