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<p>The Department for Education (DfE) has funded the Autism Education Trust (AET)
since 2011 to deliver autism awareness training for early years, school and post-16
education staff. To date, the AET has provided training for more than 150,000 education
staff. The training is available for all those who work in schools, not just teachers.
The AET has also published national autism standards for educational settings and
a competency framework for those working with children and young people with autism.
We have recently confirmed a two-year extension to the contract with the AET worth
£1.45 million.</p><p>In addition to our work with the AET, DfE also works to ensure
that all schools meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities
(SEND), including those with autism. To be awarded qualified teacher status, trainees
must satisfy the Teachers’ Standards, which include a requirement that they have a
clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with SEND, and are
able to use and evaluate distinctive teaching approaches to engage and support them.
The framework of content for Initial Teacher Training also now requires training providers
to include modules on specific types of SEND, including autism, to ensure that all
new teachers understand the needs of such pupils and are well equipped to support
them.</p><p>It is the responsibility of schools to determine the needs of their staff
to meet the needs of children with SEND within their approach to school improvement,
professional development and performance management. The performance of all teachers
in maintained schools must be assessed every year against the Teachers' Standards.
Each school (including academies and free schools) must also have a Special Educational
Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) who must hold qualified teacher status, and usually they
must undertake the Masters level National Award in SEN co-ordination within three
years of being appointed.</p><p> </p><p>We have provided funding to a range of organisations
leading on different kinds of SEND to develop resources and training to equip the
school workforce, including on autism. A SEND review tool to help schools identify
priorities and build school-to-school approaches to improvement is now available at
<a href="https://www.gov.uk/guidance/commissioning-a-send-review" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/guidance/commissioning-a-send-review</a>.
This is supported by a number of tools to address any weaknesses identified by a review,
available at <a href="http://www.sendgateway.org.uk" target="_blank">www.sendgateway.org.uk</a>.
We will also shortly be awarding a two-year contract to provide strategic support
to the workforce in mainstream and special schools, from foundation stage to sixth
form, in delivering high quality teaching across all types of SEND.</p><p> </p><p>
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