Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of (a) ensuring that academy schools publish full SEND information reports and (b) sanctioning schools that do not.

Maintained and Academy schools are required to publish special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) information reports according to the Children and Families Act 2014, s69. The specific information required is set out in the SEND regulations 2014 and the SEND code of practice, which can be found here: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/6/part/3 and here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.

The department welcomes the publication of the response to the Big Listen, which stated that Ofsted will consult on introducing a new inspection judgement area for inclusion across education settings. The department will continue to work with Ofsted to consider how outcomes for children and young people with SEND, or in alternative provision, are better reflected in the Education Inspection and the Area SEND inspection frameworks.