Asked by: Shivani Raja (Conservative - Leicester East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact of SEND transport contracts on local authority spending; and whether she plans to introduce annual cost caps.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
We know challenges in the SEND system are creating pressures on home-to-school travel. We will reform the SEND system to enable more children to thrive in local mainstream settings. This will mean fewer children need to travel long distances to access education, reducing the burden on local authorities. The reforms will be set out in the Schools White Paper.
Local councils decide how to arrange travel for eligible children. They use a mix of in-house services, public transport passes and contracts with private operators. Contracts are a matter for the council and operator. We encourage councils to have robust arrangements. Many are reviewing and improving their procurement practices.
We are supporting councils through a new home-to-school travel data collection to support benchmarking, publishing guidance to support joined-up decision-making, and creating a bespoke home-to-school travel funding formula within the local government finance settlement. We have no current plans to introduce a price cap.
Asked by: Julia Lopez (Conservative - Hornchurch and Upminster)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much and what proportion of the funding for the SEND teacher training programme announced on 16 January 2026 will be allocated to training on speech, language and communication needs.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) teacher training offer comprises an investment of over £200 million over the course of this Parliament. This significant investment forms a central pillar of the government’s SEND reform plans, helping to secure a fairer system where effective support is available for every child with SEND from early years to the age of 25.
This training offer will be freely available to all leaders, teachers and teaching assistants working in schools, colleges and nurseries across England.
We are currently in the design stage for the new programme and plan to develop it in collaboration with sector experts and early years professionals.
This free accessible training will focus on inclusive pedagogy, child development, and practical strategies for supporting children with SEND including those with speech, language and communication needs.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment her Department has made on the adequacy of funding for children with special educational need in Bradford.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
We are committed to reforming the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system to deliver an excellent, inclusive education for every child and young person, with a world-class curriculum and highly trained, expert staff at every phase of learning.
High needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND was increased by over £1 billion, or 11%, in 2025/26 and funding will continue at this increased level in 2026/27.
Total high needs funding will be well over £12 billion in 2026/27. Of that total Bradford City Council will be allocated over £139 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant.
Local authorities will receive at least £3 billion for high needs capital between 2026/27 and 2029/30, and we will publish allocations for 2026/27 in the spring. This builds on £740 million for high needs capital in 2025/26, of which Bradford Council has been allocated approximately £7.3 million.
When the Schools White Paper is published early in 2026, we will set out further details on additional funding for both local authorities and schools to drive forward reform of the SEND system.
Asked by: Imran Hussain (Labour - Bradford East)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department plans to increase funding for Bradford City Council to support children with SEND.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
We are committed to reforming the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system to deliver an excellent, inclusive education for every child and young person, with a world-class curriculum and highly trained, expert staff at every phase of learning.
High needs funding for children and young people with complex SEND was increased by over £1 billion, or 11%, in 2025/26 and funding will continue at this increased level in 2026/27.
Total high needs funding will be well over £12 billion in 2026/27. Of that total Bradford City Council will be allocated over £139 million through the high needs funding block of the dedicated schools grant.
Local authorities will receive at least £3 billion for high needs capital between 2026/27 and 2029/30, and we will publish allocations for 2026/27 in the spring. This builds on £740 million for high needs capital in 2025/26, of which Bradford Council has been allocated approximately £7.3 million.
When the Schools White Paper is published early in 2026, we will set out further details on additional funding for both local authorities and schools to drive forward reform of the SEND system.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what powers does she have to help ensure schools comply with (a) paragraph 6.81 of the SEN Code of Practice and (b) Equality Act 2010.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Children and Families Act 2014 and SEND regulations set out the detail that schools must include in special educational needs (SEN) information reports. The SEND Code of Practice states that schools should ensure that the information is easily accessible by young people and parents, and is set out in clear, straightforward language.
The Ofsted inspection toolkit states that, in gathering evidence about supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), inspectors must consider the extent to which published SEN information reports are easily accessible and accurately describe the school’s provision and support for pupils with SEN.
The department has published guidance to help schools understand their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7e3237ed915d74e33f0ac9/Equality_Act_Advice_Final.pdf.
The department has also issued further guidance to help support school governing boards understand their roles and responsibilities, accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sen-and-disability-duties-guidance-for-school-governing-boards/special-educational-needs-sen-and-disabilities-guidance-for-school-governing-boards.
There are a range of resources available to school leaders and governors to support in the creation of accessible SEN Information Reports.
We will set out our proposals for SEND reform in the upcoming Schools White Paper and will consult widely on these proposals, continuing to work with a wide range of partners to refine and deliver them.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she has she taken to help ensure schools comply with (a) paragraph 6.81 of the SEN Code of Practice and (b) Equality Act 2010.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Children and Families Act 2014 and SEND regulations set out the detail that schools must include in special educational needs (SEN) information reports. The SEND Code of Practice states that schools should ensure that the information is easily accessible by young people and parents, and is set out in clear, straightforward language.
The Ofsted inspection toolkit states that, in gathering evidence about supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), inspectors must consider the extent to which published SEN information reports are easily accessible and accurately describe the school’s provision and support for pupils with SEN.
The department has published guidance to help schools understand their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7e3237ed915d74e33f0ac9/Equality_Act_Advice_Final.pdf.
The department has also issued further guidance to help support school governing boards understand their roles and responsibilities, accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sen-and-disability-duties-guidance-for-school-governing-boards/special-educational-needs-sen-and-disabilities-guidance-for-school-governing-boards.
There are a range of resources available to school leaders and governors to support in the creation of accessible SEN Information Reports.
We will set out our proposals for SEND reform in the upcoming Schools White Paper and will consult widely on these proposals, continuing to work with a wide range of partners to refine and deliver them.
Asked by: Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat - Twickenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate she has made of the cost of providing written guidance to schools on how to write accessible SEN Information Reports.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The Children and Families Act 2014 and SEND regulations set out the detail that schools must include in special educational needs (SEN) information reports. The SEND Code of Practice states that schools should ensure that the information is easily accessible by young people and parents, and is set out in clear, straightforward language.
The Ofsted inspection toolkit states that, in gathering evidence about supporting pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), inspectors must consider the extent to which published SEN information reports are easily accessible and accurately describe the school’s provision and support for pupils with SEN.
The department has published guidance to help schools understand their legal duties under the Equality Act 2010: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a7e3237ed915d74e33f0ac9/Equality_Act_Advice_Final.pdf.
The department has also issued further guidance to help support school governing boards understand their roles and responsibilities, accessible at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sen-and-disability-duties-guidance-for-school-governing-boards/special-educational-needs-sen-and-disabilities-guidance-for-school-governing-boards.
There are a range of resources available to school leaders and governors to support in the creation of accessible SEN Information Reports.
We will set out our proposals for SEND reform in the upcoming Schools White Paper and will consult widely on these proposals, continuing to work with a wide range of partners to refine and deliver them.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what consideration her department has given to the potential benefits of changing Pupil Premium rules so that funding goes directly towards supporting the eligible child’s care.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The purpose of pupil premium funding is to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in state-funded schools in England.
Pupil premium is not a personal budget for individual pupils. It is for schools to decide how to allocate the funding, after assessing the needs of their disadvantaged cohort, including previously looked after children.
To ensure that pupil premium is focused on effective approaches to raising the educational attainment of disadvantaged pupils, schools must use their pupil premium in line with the evidence-informed 'menu of approaches'. Under the ‘wider strategies’ category this can include supporting pupil’s social and emotional needs.
Previously looked after children and young people under adoption orders, special guardianship orders and child arrangements orders are eligible for funding for therapy through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.
Asked by: Max Wilkinson (Liberal Democrat - Cheltenham)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment has her department made of the potential benefits to allowing parents of previously looked after children to make financial contributions to the Pupil Premium for therapy.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
The purpose of pupil premium funding is to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in state-funded schools in England.
Pupil premium is not a personal budget for individual pupils. It is for schools to decide how to allocate the funding, after assessing the needs of their disadvantaged cohort, including previously looked after children.
To ensure that pupil premium is focused on effective approaches to raising the educational attainment of disadvantaged pupils, schools must use their pupil premium in line with the evidence-informed 'menu of approaches'. Under the ‘wider strategies’ category this can include supporting pupil’s social and emotional needs.
Previously looked after children and young people under adoption orders, special guardianship orders and child arrangements orders are eligible for funding for therapy through the Adoption and Special Guardianship Support Fund.
Asked by: Nick Timothy (Conservative - West Suffolk)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what evidential basis her department is using to promote resource bases for pupils with specialist needs in mainstream schools.
Answered by Georgia Gould - Minister of State (Education)
I refer the hon. Member for West Suffolk to the answer of 13 February 2026 to Question 103940.