Asked by: Amanda Martin (Labour - Portsmouth North)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to (a) develop and (b) implement in-classroom screening tools for dyslexia; and if she will include those tools in the (i) training and (ii) resources provided to teachers.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The statutory guidance ‘SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years’ is clear that meeting the needs of a child with special educational needs (SEN) does not require a diagnostic label or test. Instead, the department expects teachers to monitor the progress of all pupils and put support in place where needed. The full guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25.
The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with specific learning difficulties. As part of this, the department is considering both international evidence and best practice in its policymaking on SEN, with a focus on strengthening the evidence base on what works to identify and support needs in mainstream settings, including for specific learning difficulties.
The department has also commissioned evidence reviews from University College London, which will highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people (age 0 to 25) with different types of needs.
In November 2024, the department established the Neurodivergence Task and Finish Group, chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg from Birmingham University, to provide an expert view and make recommendations on how to best meet the needs of neurodivergent children and young people within mainstream education settings. The group brings together experts including clinicians, scientists and academics, education professionals, and charities representing specific types of neurodivergence. We have been clear that in developing their advice, we expect the group to draw on a wide range of inputs, including other sector experts and stakeholders, to ensure appropriate coverage of other types of neurodivergence. The group will also listen to the voices of neurodivergent children and young people, their parents, and others who care for them.
The initial teacher training and early career framework, which replaces the core content framework and early career framework from September 2025 and underpins what all new teachers should learn, contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND. 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.
Asked by: Manuela Perteghella (Liberal Democrat - Stratford-on-Avon)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, pursuant to the Answer of 31 March 2025 to Question 40830 on Dyslexia: Screening, whether her Department has considered international (a) evidence and (b) best practice in the support of pupils with specific learning difficulties.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, including those with specific learning difficulties. As part of this, the department is considering both international evidence and best practice in its policymaking on special educational needs, with a focus on strengthening the evidence base on what works to identify and support needs in mainstream settings, including for specific learning difficulties.
The department has commissioned evidence reviews from University College London, which will highlight what the best available evidence suggests are the most effective tools, strategies and approaches for teachers and other relevant staff in mainstream settings to identify and support children and young people (age 0 to 25) with different types of needs.
Asked by: Rachael Maskell (Labour (Co-op) - York Central)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department is taking steps to assist students with SEND to access higher education as (a) school leavers and (b) mature students.
Answered by Robert Halfon
The department works to ensure that students of all ages with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) can access higher education. Under Section 20 of the Equality Act 2010, education and training providers and other related service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, including people with a learning difficulty, so they are not placed at a substantial disadvantage compared to non-disabled students.
Support is provided for disabled students by higher education providers (HEPs) through reasonable adjustment and disability services, some of which is funded through the Disabled Student Premium as well as by the government through the Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA).
DSA is available to help students with the additional costs they may face in higher education because of their disability. This includes long-term health conditions, mental health conditions, or specific learning difficulties, such as dyslexia. DSA can be used for the purchase of specialist equipment, for travel, or to pay for non-medical help, including the human support provided to students to enable them to access their studies. It is not means-tested and does not have to be repaid. It is available to eligible full-time and part-time students at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
The department’s grant with Disability Rights UK provides a Disabled Students Helpline that responds to over 1,500 enquiries per year.
Asked by: Luke Pollard (Labour (Co-op) - Plymouth Sutton and Devonport)
Question to the Ministry of Defence:
To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department offers support to people with neurodiversity conditions to help them join the UK armed forces.
Answered by Andrew Murrison
The Ministry of Defence values diversity and is committed to recruiting and retaining the best people possible. We are extremely proud of the wide-ranging make up of our Armed Forces, including the many neurodiverse Service personnel within our ranks.
It is important that our Armed Forces reflect the society they serve and benefits from the talent that is available. It is also essential that all new entrants to the Armed Forces have the capacity to serve in all respects for the period of their engagement, ensuring operational efficiency, safety for the individual and safety for others. Consequently, there are a number of conditions that are a bar to Service. The health and medical history of all individuals, as an Armed Forces applicant or a Serving person, is considered on a case-by-case basis.
Candidates with Specific Learning Difficulties (SLDs), including Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Dyspraxia, can serve in the Armed Forces, if they meet the selection, training and performance standards. Service personnel with SLDs are provided with support appropriate to their needs, where feasible within Service and resource constraints. Training courses delivered by Defence are designed to be accessible to Service personnel with a range of differing requirements, including SLDs. Instructional staff are all provided with training on the best methods for teaching people with SLDs.
While other conditions such as Autism and ADHD may be a bar to Service entry, this is not automatically the case. Every application is considered on a case-by-case basis by recruiting clinicians, who will make an individual assessment of the condition, its severity and the need for treatment. If an application is rejected on medical grounds, a candidate can appeal the decision to the recruiting Service, providing additional medical evidence if required.
There is also an executive waiver process where the employing Service may, exceptionally, recruit someone who does not meet the existing entry standards. This may include individuals with unique specialist skills. This would also be determined on a case-by-case basis.
Entry requirements are kept under continual review. This ensures they are fair to everyone with aspirations of an Armed Forces career and are informed by the latest evidence.
Asked by: Lord Addington (Liberal Democrat - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask His Majesty's Government where the framework for the advice that the careers services provide to jobseekers with (1) dyslexia, and (2) other specific learning difficulties, can be found online.
Answered by Baroness Barran - Shadow Minister (Education)
The National Careers Service (the Service) provides free, up to date, impartial information, advice and guidance on careers, skills and the Labour Market in England.
The Service helps customers make informed choices about their career options, whatever their age, ethnic group and background. Discussions are tailored to meet the individual needs and circumstances of each customer, such as those with dyslexia and other additional needs.
The more in-depth, community-based service offers intensive support to adults (including jobseekers) with special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities as one of the six priority groups for the Service.
Alongside the community-based service, customers can access the service via the National Careers Service website here: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/. The department is committed to ensuring the website is accessible, in accordance with the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018.
The Service’s Accessibility Statement contains information about the accessibility of the website, steps that individuals can take if they cannot access parts of the website and contact details to allow individuals to report accessibility problems. The Accessibility Statement can be found here: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/help/accessibility.
Development of the online service is supported by significant user research, including users with SEND. Where possible, research is undertaken across a representative range of users, including those with disabilities. Components are also tested to make sure they work with a broad range of browsers, devices and assistive technologies, including screen magnifiers, screen readers and speech recognition tools.
The following webpage sets out additional, specific job support for individuals with SEND and additional needs: https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice/career-and-job-support-for-people-with-a-disability. This includes signposting to the British Dyslexia Association for learning disability job support.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:
To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what SEND-specific training the Government plans to provide to (a) Job Centre Work Coaches and (b) Work and Health Programme staff as part of its proposals on ensuring those services provide people with (i) dyslexia and (ii) other learning difficulties with adequate employment support.
Answered by Tom Pursglove
The DWP Work Coaches receive comprehensive learning to support customers with health, disability and additional or complex needs, which continues at point of need throughout their role. The learning provides Work Coaches with the knowledge and skills to enable them to support claimants moving towards employment.
Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) is included in the Vulnerable Customer and Complex Needs product, which forms part of the DWP Induction learning for all colleagues.
This learning supports Work Coaches and Health Programme staff in working with customers to identify barriers they may face and to signpost customers to internal and external sources of help and support; this includes customers with learning difficulties and dyslexia.
As part of the Work Coach specific learning journey, they complete Claimant Commitment learning which focuses on:
The Work Coach learning journey also includes modules on Vulnerable Customers; this product focuses on supporting customers with additional complex needs, including learning difficulties, move closer to, and into, the labour market. Work Coaches continue to build on this learning in the workplace.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners in England and Wales have (a) dyslexia and other Specific Learning Difficulties, (b) speech and language difficulties and (c) other special educational needs and disabilities.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is committed to meeting the needs of all vulnerable offenders, including those with learning disabilities, difficulties and speech, language and communication needs. All individuals who come into contact with the Criminal Justice System (CJS) need to be able to access the right support to help them engage with their sentence.
For those who go into learning and where screening indicates an issue, education suppliers assess them to ensure the right adaptations and support arrangements are put in place.
The available data on offender learning participation, and learner characteristics, is published by the Department for Education. Data on learning difficulties and/or disabilities amongst those prisoners who engage in prison education is available via the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-education-and-training
In addition, prison officer training covers disabilities and responding sensitively and appropriately to behaviours.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what recent estimate his Department has made of the level of undiagnosed (a) dyslexia, (b) other specific learning difficulties, (c) speech and language difficulties and (d) other special educational needs and disabilities in prisons.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is committed to meeting the needs of all vulnerable offenders, including those with learning disabilities, difficulties and speech, language and communication needs. All individuals who come into contact with the Criminal Justice System (CJS) need to be able to access the right support to help them engage with their sentence.
For those who go into learning and where screening indicates an issue, education suppliers assess them to ensure the right adaptations and support arrangements are put in place.
The available data on offender learning participation, and learner characteristics, is published by the Department for Education. Data on learning difficulties and/or disabilities amongst those prisoners who engage in prison education is available via the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-education-and-training
In addition, prison officer training covers disabilities and responding sensitively and appropriately to behaviours.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what steps his Department is taking to support prisoners with (a) dyslexia and other Specific Learning Difficulties, (b) speech and language difficulties and (c) other special educational needs and disabilities.
Answered by Lucy Frazer
Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) is committed to meeting the needs of all vulnerable offenders, including those with learning disabilities, difficulties and speech, language and communication needs. All individuals who come into contact with the Criminal Justice System (CJS) need to be able to access the right support to help them engage with their sentence.
For those who go into learning and where screening indicates an issue, education suppliers assess them to ensure the right adaptations and support arrangements are put in place.
The available data on offender learning participation, and learner characteristics, is published by the Department for Education. Data on learning difficulties and/or disabilities amongst those prisoners who engage in prison education is available via the following link:
https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/fe-data-library-education-and-training
In addition, prison officer training covers disabilities and responding sensitively and appropriately to behaviours.
Asked by: Sharon Hodgson (Labour - Washington and Gateshead South)
Question to the Department for Education:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the implications for his Department’s policies of the research by the Driver Youth Trust on teachers and headteachers views on the usefulness and validity of the term dyslexia.
Answered by Michelle Donelan
My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, has not made any formal assessment of the implications of this research.
The department has made a big difference to support for pupils with dyslexia through our clear focus on literacy, particularly the use of phonics, and improving initial teacher training and continuing professional development for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). We have also provided substantial investment in additional training and resources for the school workforce, including materials relating to autism, dyslexia and other specific learning difficulties.
The SEND Reforms introduced the ‘plan, do, review’ graduated approach for pupils on SEND support so that teachers have a focus on ensuring that pupils have the right support to reach their full potential.
We recently announced significant extra funding for children and young people with more complex needs. As part of our school funding package, which will provide an extra £14 billion over the next 3 years, we are increasing high needs funding by £780 million next year, which is an increase of 12% on the amount available this year. This brings the total to be spent on supporting those with the most complex needs to £7.2 billion.
Although this additional funding will help, we recognise that more needs to be done to ensure this investment is working as well as it can for young people and that we have a sustainable SEND system in future. That is why the government recently announced a review of SEND.