In the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision (AP) Improvement Plan, the department set out a vision for an inclusive system characterised by high-quality mainstream provision where children and young people have their needs identified early and can access prompt, evidence-based, targeted support. The department is working with local authorities to create or strengthen local SEND and AP partnerships to bring together local authorities, health and education partners across local systems to strategically plan and commission support for children and young people with SEND.<\/p>
<\/p>
To support local authorities, the department is investing £21 million to train 400 more educational psychologists and introducing a National Professional Qualification (NPQ) for special educational needs coordinators at leadership level.<\/p>
\u200b<\/p>
Schools and Multi-Academy Trust leaders should promote collaborative working and drive inclusive practices across local areas.\u202fThe department\u2019s expectations for high-quality, inclusive education are set out in the High-Quality Trust Framework and enforced through the inspections under Ofsted\u2019s 2019 education inspection framework<\/p>
<\/p>
The department is also investing in specific programmes designed to help schools develop their inclusive practice. For example, the Universal Services programme helps the schools and further education workforce to identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, earlier and more effectively. As part of the programme, over 135,000 professionals have undertaken autism awareness training. And to support schools to create calm, safe and supportive environments for all pupils, the department has also invested £10 million in the Behaviour Hubs programme. No pupil should miss out on education because of concerns to safety, disruptions to lessons or if pupils\u2019 needs are not identified and supported.<\/p>
<\/p>
Mainstream schools in London are to be allocated £7.48 billion in 2024/25, a cash increase of 1.6% per pupil compared to 2023/24, and an increase of 12.5% per pupil over the Spending Review period compared to 2021/22. For any cost of special educational needs support which is more than £6,000 per pupil, schools can access local authorities\u2019 high needs budgets. Local authorities in London have been allocated high needs funding amounting to £1.9 billion in 2023/24. This is set to increase to £2 billion in 2024/25, which equates to a cumulative increase of 29% per head through the National Funding Formula over the three years since 2021/22 allocations. Within that London total, the London Borough of Lewisham\u2019s allocation of high needs funding in 2024/25 is over £79 million, which is a cumulative increase of 27% since their 2021/22 allocations. Across England, by 2024/25 high needs funding will have increased by 60% over the five years since 2019/20 to a total of over £10.5 billion.<\/p>
The department does not hold the data requested.<\/p> The department collects data from local authorities on the number of children and young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan, but this does not include information on the contents of the plan.<\/p> <\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4761", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for David Johnston"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wantage"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "David Johnston"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-11-13", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-11-13T10:04:34.643Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-07", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Special Educational Needs: Sign Language"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many Education Health and Care Plans include (a) courses and (b) other forms of training in British Sign Language for (i) children and (ii) family members.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4491", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewisham, Deptford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Vicky Foxcroft"}
], "uin" : "325"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1661040", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1661040/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " All those working with, or commissioning services for children and young people, must have regard to the statutory Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Code of Practice: 0-25 years. This sets out clearly that early years settings, schools and colleges must use their best endeavours to make sure that a child or young person with Special Educational Needs (SEN) gets the support they need. This includes autistic children and young people. This support should be put in place at the earliest opportunity when a child or young person with SEN has been identified. There is no need to wait for a medical assessment or diagnosis.<\/p> The Code states that, where it has been identified that a child or young person needs SEN support, the early years setting, school or college should work with the child or young person and the family to agree the adjustments, interventions and support to be put in place.<\/p> Where an assessment of needs indicates that support from specialist services is required, it is important that children and young people receive it as quickly as possible. Agencies across education, health and care should work together to support children and young people.<\/p> In the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan, the department set out its vision to improve mainstream education through setting standards for early and accurate identification of need, including timely access to support to meet those needs. The standards will clarify the types of support that should be ordinarily available in mainstream settings, who is responsible for securing the support and from what budgets.<\/p> The department will also develop new practice guides to support frontline professionals. The first three practice guides will be published by the end of 2025, focusing on advice for mainstream settings, and will include a practice guide on autism.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4761", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for David Johnston"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wantage"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "David Johnston"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2023-09-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "groupedQuestionUIN" : {"_value" : "199847"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-09-25T13:19:24.58Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-09-15", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pupils: Autism"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether her Department has issued guidance to schools on making adjustments to support pupils who are on the waiting list for an autism assessment.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4491", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewisham, Deptford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Vicky Foxcroft"}
], "uin" : "199770"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/487140", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Culture, Media and Sport"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/487140/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " This Government is committed to reducing youth violence. On 13 January 2016 the Home Office published the new Ending Gang Violence and Exploitation approach. This has a twin focus concerned with both reducing violence and protecting vulnerable individuals from exploitation by gangs, and how the Home Office want to work with national and local partners to respond to this.<\/p> <\/p> The Home Office's Modern Crime Prevention Strategy, published on 23 March 2016, sets out a range of measures they are taking, including working with the police and industry to ensure there are effective controls on the sales of knives, particularly to under-18s. The Home Office has agreed a set of principles with major retailers and the British Retail Consortium to prevent the underage sale of knives and to ensure knives are displayed safely.<\/p> <\/p> Government is also supporting police action taken against knife crime. Most recently, in February 2016, the Home Office supported thirteen police forces who undertook coordinated action against knife crime. This involved targeting habitual knife carriers, weapon sweeps, test purchases of knives from identified retailers, and use of surrender bins.<\/p> <\/p> In addition, DCMS launched the Sport Strategy in December 2015, which sets out how sport can play a role in inclusivity and giving everyone the best chance in life.<\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1580", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Lord Vaizey of Didcot"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wantage"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mr Edward Vaizey"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2016-04-11", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2016-04-11T13:02:47.067Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "10"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Culture, Media and Sport"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2016-03-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Crimes of Violence: Young People"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what contribution his Department is making to Government steps to reduce the incidence of serious youth violence.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4491", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewisham, Deptford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Vicky Foxcroft"}
], "uin" : "32650"}
], "itemsPerPage" : 10, "page" : 0, "startIndex" : 1, "totalResults" : 4, "type" : ["http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#ListEndpoint", "http://purl.org/linked-data/api/vocab#Page"]}
}
The department has published over £1.5 billion of High Needs Provision Capital Allocations for the 2022/23 and 2023/24 financial years, of which local authorities in London have been allocated £325 million. This funding is allocated to support local authorities deliver new places and improve existing provision for children and young people with SEND or who require AP. Local authorities can use it to deliver new places in mainstream and special schools, as well as other specialist settings, and to improve the suitability and accessibility of existing buildings. This forms part of the department\u2019s transformational investment of £2.6 billion in new high needs provision between 2022 and 2025 and is on top of its ongoing delivery of new special and AP free schools.<\/em><\/p>"}
, "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4761", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for David Johnston"}
}
, "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wantage"}
, "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "David Johnston"}
, "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2024-02-22", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2024-02-22T17:50:16.147Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-02-06", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Special Educational Needs: Greater London"}
, "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"}
, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
}
], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she is taking steps to work with (a) local authorities and (b) schools to (i) promote inclusion in schools and (ii) help ensure the adequacy of funding for SEND provision in London schools; and if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of access to mainstream school places for children in London with SEND.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4491", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Vicky Foxcroft"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Lewisham, Deptford"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Vicky Foxcroft"}
], "uin" : "13370"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1667950", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1667950/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "