Pupils: Neurodiversity
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans her Department has to introduce mandatory training on (a) ADHD and (b) other neurodevelopmental conditions within initial teacher training and ongoing professional development frameworks; and whether she has made an assessment of the potential impact of training gaps on pupil outcomes.
Answered by Catherine McKinnell
The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with ADHD and other neurodiverse conditions.
From September 2025, the new initial teacher training and early career framework (ITTECF) will set out a minimum entitlement to training for all new teachers. The ITTECF contains significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and SEND which was tested with SEND educational experts to ensure new teachers are equipped to support pupils with a range of additional learning needs.
The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential and has committed to review the ITTECF in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support. This review will include a focus on teaching pupils with SEND.
The department also offers the Universal Services programme which helps the school workforce identify and meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, including those with neurodiversity. This includes a range of continuing profession development such as bespoke professional development groups and autism training. Alongside this, the Partnerships for Inclusion of Neurodiversity in Schools (PINS) programme is a national programme, backed by £13 million of investment. PINS deploys specialists from health and education workforces to build teacher and staff capacity to identify and better meet the needs of neurodivergent children in mainstream primary schools.
In November 2024, the department established a neurodivergence task and finish group, which includes a range of experts from clinicians, scientists and academics, as well as education experts and third sector organisations. This group is chaired by Professor Karen Guldberg from the University of Birmingham and aims to work closely with the department to help improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream settings in a way that works for neurodivergent children and young people.
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