Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, if she will take steps to provide mandatory neuro diversity training for all teachers; and if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of maintaining a national league table of school staff that have undertaken this training.

The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), which includes neurodiverse conditions. All trainees who achieve Qualified Teacher Status must demonstrate that they can adapt teaching to respond to the needs of all pupils.

To support all teachers to meet these standards, the Department is implementing high quality teacher training reforms, which will begin with initial teacher training and continue into early career teaching with the Early Career Framework (ECF), through to the reformed suite of leadership and specialist NPQs, ensuring that teachers have the skills to support all pupils to succeed, including those with SEND. Both the Initial Teacher Training Core Content Framework and ECF have been designed around how to support all pupils to succeed, including those pupils identified within the four areas of need set out in the SEND Code of Practice.

In addition, the Universal Services programme, backed by almost £12 million, will help schools and the further education workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, including those with autism, earlier and more effectively.

It is up to head teachers to use their professional judgement to identify any further training, including specific specialisms, for individual staff that is relevant to them, the school, and its pupils.