Special Educational Needs
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what provision the Department plans to make for children and young people with SEND who are not currently attending school or college, including those who are out of education due to unmet needs or placement disputes.
Answered by Georgia Gould
The department is committed to ensuring that all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) have access to suitable education, including those not currently attending school or college.
The department’s consultation, “SEND reform: putting children and young people first” set out proposals which aim to support more children and young people to remain in, or return to, education with their needs met. This included proposals to change how placements are secured for children and young people with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans and to ensure more needs are met in mainstream settings, so that every child can receive a high-quality education close to home. The department is currently considering consultation responses and will set out decisions in due course.
As part of continued engagement on our reforms, we intend to publish in the coming weeks a consultation on the use of Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) provision. It is crucial that we get right the support for children and young people with EOTAS arrangements, particularly given their often complex needs. This consultation will seek views to ensure we meet those specific needs, and that these children and young people benefit from the inclusive education we want for all.
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