https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-and-alternative-provision-improvement-plan<\/a>.<\/p>In the Improvement Plan, the department confirmed that frontline professionals, such as teachers and early years practitioners, would be equipped with the skills and expertise to make best use of provision and to identify needs early, accurately and consistently. The department is developing a suite of practitioner standards to help early years staff, teachers and teaching assistants to identify and support the needs of children and young people they work with, prioritising areas such as speech and language development. The department is funding up to 7,000 early years staff to gain an accredited Level 3 early years special educational needs co-ordinator qualification.<\/p>
Additionally, the department is investing £2.6 billion in new specialist places to increase the number of places for those children who need specialist support in mainstream and special schools, and alternative provision. These developments will help children with Down syndrome in early years settings and primary schools reach their full potential.<\/p>
Specifically on early years learning, the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) sets the standards and requirements that all early years providers must follow, including learning and development requirements. The EYFS includes specific requirements for supporting children with SEND, including those with Down syndrome. All early years providers must have arrangements in place to support children with SEND and all providers who are funded by the local authority to deliver early education places must have regard to the SEND Code of Practice.<\/p>"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Pre-school Education and Primary Education: Down's Syndrome"}
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, "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to support (a) early years learning and (b) primary education for children with Down's Syndrome.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/350", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir John Hayes"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1697079", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1697079/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
By the 2027/28 financial year, the government will expect to be spending in excess of £8 billion every year on free hours and early education, helping working families with their childcare costs. This represents the single biggest investment in childcare in England ever.<\/p>
<\/p>
In February, the department launched a new national recruitment campaign for the early years and childcare sector, \u2018Do something BIG. Work with small children\u2019, and a financial incentives pilot. Eligible joiners and returners will receive a tax-free payment of up to £1,000. This followed the introduction of workforce flexibilities to the Early Years Foundation Stage in January.<\/p>
<\/p>
The department has also introduced Skills Bootcamps for Early Years, which will create a pathway to accelerated Level 3 Early Years Apprenticeships. The number of paid childcare staff in 2023 is estimated at 347,300 compared to 334,400 paid childcare staff in 2022, an increase of 3.86%. Additionally, the department has invested up to £180 million in providing an early years education recovery package of workforce training, qualifications and support and guidance for the early years sector. This includes additional places for early years initial teacher training (EYITT), and new level 3 qualifications criteria for early years educators to ensure higher quality training and better care for children. The new criteria will come into effect from September 2024.<\/p>
<\/p>
For the North West, the total number of staff working in group and school based providers has increased from 39,394 in 2018 to 42,027 in 2023, an increase of 6.68%.<\/p>
<\/p>"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department is taking to increase nursery staff in the North West, in the context of the Government's plans to expand the number of free childcare places.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/473", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Sir Mark Hendrick"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1697104", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
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The information requested can be found in the attached table.<\/p>
.<\/p>
<\/p>"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much funding her Department has provided through the adoption and special guardianship support fund in each of the last five years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4512", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Caroline Ansell"}
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, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Caroline Ansell"}
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, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1697105", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Education"}
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The information requested can be found in the attached table.<\/p>
.<\/p>
<\/p>"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many applications to the adoption and special guardianship support fund were (a) made and (b) successful (i) in total and (b) by local authority area; and what the average amount awarded was for those claims (A) in total and (B) by local authority area in each of the last five years.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
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From the 19 December 2023 to the 12 March 2024, the department carried out a full public consultation on the draft guidance for schools and colleges on gender questioning children. Any member of the public could respond and provide their views.<\/p>
<\/p>"}
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, "date" : {"_value" : "2024-03-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
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], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps her Department has taken to consult (a) transgender students, (b) the families of transgender students and (c) organisations that represent the views of transgender people on the draft guidance entitled Guidance for Schools and Colleges: Gender Questioning Children, published on 19 December 2023.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
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