Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve (a) inclusivity and (b) expertise in mainstream schools for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities.

This government’s ambition is that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) or in alternative provision receive the right support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department is committed to improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools, as well as ensuring special schools cater to those with the most complex needs, in order to restore parents’ trust that their child will get the support they need.

To take this forward, the department will publish evidence reviews to identify the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people with different types of needs.

This government is committed to continuous improvement to transform the training and support for all new teachers, and to review the experiences and needs of early career teachers as well as trainees. The new Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF) is due to be implemented from September 2025 and will underpin all Initial Teacher Training courses and statutory induction training for early career teachers across the country.

The ITTECF contains additional content related to inclusion, adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND. The inclusion content includes developing an understanding that teacher approaches to inclusion and SEND are a key determinant of pupil outcomes. The adaptive teaching content includes, for example, developing an understanding of different pupil needs, and learning how to provide opportunities for success for all pupils.

The department will also work with Ofsted to ensure that schools are held accountable for their approach to inclusion, so that all children are given the high quality support they need to learn and thrive. The department is committed to improving the inspection system, moving away from the single headline grade to a richer system to assess school quality through a report card, giving a more rounded picture of how a school is performing and providing parents with greater clarity on the support a school has in place for children with SEND.