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<p>The government welcomed the recent ‘Autism and education in England 2017’ report
from the All Party Parliamentary Group on Autism (APPGA), which recommended the creation
of a national strategy for autism. We will consider the recommendations of the report
carefully, alongside those of other recent reports such as the attached ‘Lenehan Review’
of residential special schools. These reports will inform our plans for supporting
children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Officials are meeting representatives from the National Autistic Society in January
2018 to discuss the APPGA’s report.</p><p> </p><p>Local councils have a statutory
duty, under the Children and Families Act 2014, to identify needs in their local area
and to commission, together with partner agencies, services to support children and
young people with SEND and their families. This includes services for children and
young people with autism. These services must be included in each council’s ‘local
offer’ of available services, which must be reviewed regularly, in consultation with
local families, taking their views into consideration.</p><p> </p><p>The department
has funded the Autism Education Trust (AET) since 2012 to deliver autism training
to early years, schools and post-16 education professionals in England. The AET has
now trained more than 150,000 education staff. This includes head teachers, teachers
and teaching assistants, as well as support staff such as receptionists and dining
hall staff, encouraging a ‘whole school’ approach to supporting children and young
people with autism. The department will shortly begin discussions with the AET to
consider an extension to their current contract.</p><p> </p><p>The department published
a new framework for Initial Teacher Training (ITT) content in July 2016. The framework,
attached, includes specific content on SEND, including autism, and is available for
training providers to use. This twin approach of ongoing work in schools to increase
awareness of autism through training, while also ensuring that new teachers are equipped
to support pupils with autism from the outset, is designed to ensure that children
and young people can succeed in their education. The department does not hold data
on the numbers of teachers who have been trained by the AET or who have been through
ITT courses that reflect the new ITT framework.</p><p>All academies and local authority
maintained schools in England are expected to admit children and young people with
SEND, including those with autism, whether or not they have an Education, Health and
Care (EHC) plan. They cannot refuse to admit a pupil simply because he or she has
a SEND. In 2016, there were 630 maintained special schools and 32 non-maintained special
schools in England approved to make provision for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder.
In addition, under the department’s free schools programme, there are now 29 special
free schools open in England, including 17 which cater specifically for children with
autism. These include the Rise Free School in Hounslow and the Lighthouse Free School
in Leeds. A further 22 special free schools are due to open in future, 12 of which
will specialise in provision for children with autism, including the Cumbria Academy
for Autism and a second National Autistic Society free school, the Vanguard School
in Lambeth. The other schools will offer some places for children with autism.</p><p>
</p><p>In March, the government announced that it would make available £215 million
of capital funding to support the expansion of existing provision as well as the development
of new schools for pupils with EHC plans.</p><p> </p>
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Lenehan Review for HL4111,12,13,14,15,16.pdf |
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Lenehan Review |
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ITT content for HL4111,12,13,14,15,16 15.12.17.pdf |
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ITT content |
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