Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what information her Department holds on the primary types of special educational need for a) looked after children in a foster placement with a relative or friend, b) previously looked after children subject to a special guardianship order and c) previously looked after children subject to a children arrangements order.

The department does not hold information on special educational need (SEN) status for children looked after (CLA) who are in a foster placement with a relative or friend, or on SEN primary type of need for CLA who are in a foster placement with a relative or friend.

Table 1 (attached) gives counts of the primary type of need for state-funded school pupils with SEN who were previously looked after (PLA) and subject to a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order. This information is from the January 2025 school census collection.

Table 2 (attached) gives the number and proportion of state-funded pupils who were PLA and subject to a special guardianship order or a child arrangements order who had an education, health and care plan or SEN Support as of January 2025.