The department considers all teachers as teachers of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), including autism, and is committed to ensuring that all pupils can reach their potential and receive excellent support from their teachers.<\/p>
The Teachers\u2019 Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils. To be awarded Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), trainees must demonstrate that they have met all the Teachers\u2019 Standards at the appropriate level. The standards are also used to assess the performance of all teachers with QTS under the School Teachers\u2019 Appraisal Regulations (2012). Therefore, most teachers need to adhere to the standards throughout their careers.<\/p>
The Teachers\u2019 Standards require teachers to adapt teaching to respond to the needs of all pupils, and to have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs.<\/p>
To support all teachers in meeting the Teachers\u2019 Standards, the department is implementing high-quality teacher training reforms which begins with Initial Teacher Training (ITT) and continues as their careers progress. The department\u2019s Universal Services programme, backed by almost £12 million, provides SEND-specific training to the school and college workforce, with over 100,000 professionals undertaking autism awareness training since 2022.<\/p>
The department is exploring opportunities to build teacher expertise through a joint review of the ITT Core Content Framework and Early Career Framework. The review, due to published in early 2024, has an aim to support trainees and Early Career Teachers to be more confident in meeting the needs of children and young people with SEND, including autism, both through engaging with the most up to date evidence to inform their practice, and applying this in the contexts in which they work as new teachers.<\/p>
In May 2023, the department published guidance for accredited ITT providers and their partners, to support the involvement of special schools and alternative provision in ITT. The guidance is available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1157879/ITT_-_special_schools_and_alternative_provision_May_2023.pdf#:~:text=It%20has%20been%20produced%20to%20help%20accredited%20Initial,units%2C%20and%20mainstream%20schools%20with%20SEN%20resource%20units<\/a>.<\/p> The department\u2019s reforms to teacher recruitment and retention will support all teachers, including teachers of children with SEND.<\/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" : "2023-12-08", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2023-12-08T14:05:32.337Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
]}
, "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "60"}
, "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "Education"}
, "date" : {"_value" : "2023-11-29", "_datatype" : "dateTime"}
, "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Special Educational Needs: Training"}
, "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 has plans to introduce mandatory training on (a) learning disabilities and (b) autism for secondary school teachers.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"}
, "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4747", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Tahir Ali"}
}
, "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Birmingham, Hall Green"}
, "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Tahir Ali"}
], "uin" : "4562"}
, {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1464127", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for Work and Pensions"}
], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/1464127/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : " Details of the required Minimum Performance Expectation and Customer Service Standards are published within Schedule 2 of the contract and are available to view on Contracts Finder Restart Scheme - Contracts Finder<\/a>.<\/p> <\/p>