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<p>Data is collected on pupils receiving either special educational needs support
or have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and their primary category of need.
The links below provide the attainment of pupils assessed as having a primary need
of ‘visual impairment’ and how this compares to other pupils:</p><ul><li>Key stage
2: data for the 2022/23 year is in the table atttached.</li><li>Key stage 4: data
for the 2022/23 year is in the table attached.</li><li>A level: data for the 2022/23
year is in the table attached.</li></ul><p> </p><p>The department wants all children
and young people to be able to reach their full potential and to receive the right
support to succeed in their education and as they move into adult life. The department
is creating a new single national special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)
and alternative provision system for how needs are identified and met across EHC.
This new single national system will set standards on what support should be made
available in mainstream settings, including for children with visual impairments.</p><p>The
department is committed to ensuring a steady supply of teachers of children with sensory
impairments in both specialist and mainstream settings. To teach a class of pupils
with sensory impairments, a teacher is required to hold the relevant mandatory qualification
(MQSI). There are currently six providers of the MQSI, with a seventh available from
September 2024. In addition, the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education
is developing a new occupational standard for teachers of sensory impairment, which
is expected to launch in 2025.</p><p>The national curriculum tests are designed and
modified to ensure they are accessible to visually impaired pupils. Access arrangements
can be agreed with exam boards before an assessment for candidates with specific needs,
including SEND, to help them access assessments to show what they know and can do
without changing the demands of the assessment. The intention behind an access arrangement
is to meet the needs of an individual candidate without affecting the integrity of
the assessment.</p><p>Children and young people with SEND have more access to assistive
technology (AT) following investment in remote education and accessibility features
which can reduce or remove barriers to learning. Following the promising results of
a pilot training programme in 2022 to increase mainstream school staff confidence
using assistive technology, the government extended training to capture more detailed
data on the impact on teachers and learners. The independent evaluation will be published
in May 2024. The department is also now researching the AT skills required by staff
at special schools, including those working with blind and visually impaired students.</p>
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