Written questions by Duncan-Jordan.

What measures will be introduced to monitor whether Special Educational Needs and Disabilities reform improves educational outcomes for children and young people.

Every child deserves an education that meets their needs, one that is academically stretching, where every child feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work.We will set out the full Schools White Paper soon, building on the work we have already done to create a system that is rooted in inclusion, where children receive high quality support early on and can thrive at their local school.The department regularly publishes statistics on pupils with special educational needs, including information on educational attainment, destinations, absence and exclusions.

Whether she plans to include one or more representatives of providers of home-to-school transport for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities on the SEND Ministerial Development Group.

The special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) ministerial development group brings together voices from across the SEND sector. This group considers a range of perspectives and tests potential solutions to the key challenges the SEND system faces to ensure that policy proposals are informed by the knowledge and experiences of children, their families and those working in the system. Additional participants are invited on a rolling basis according to the topics under discussion. This approach allows the group to include expertise relevant to specific areas as appropriate. Outside of the group, the department already holds bi-monthly forums to which all local authority home to school travel teams are invited to enable to them to share best practice and so that we understand the challenges they face.

If she will make it her policy that children who are eligible for free school meals should be automatically enrolled for them.

The government is committed to breaking down barriers to opportunity and tackling child poverty. Introducing a new eligibility threshold for free school meals (FSM) so that all children from households in receipt of Universal Credit will be eligible for FSM from September 2026 will make it easier for parents to know whether they are entitled to receive free meals. This new entitlement will mean over 500,000 of the most disadvantaged children will begin to access free meals, pulling 100,000 children out of poverty.The department is also rolling out improvements to the eligibility checking system which will make it easier for local authorities, schools and parents to check if children are eligible for free meals.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of centralising SEND funding on the needs of individual children.

The department is not planning to centralise special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) funding.The department is continuing to engage closely with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children get the outcomes and life chances they deserve. We will be setting out further steps in the new year and are keeping under review the funding arrangements to help ensure that mainstream schools are inclusive for children with SEND. It is important that we establish a fair school funding system that directs funding to where it is needed.

What steps she is taking to ensure that any reforms to SEND will not change the provision for existing enforceable rights under the Children and Families Act 2014.

The department is committed to restoring confidence in the system of support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) so that they all get the opportunities they need to achieve and thrive in their education. There will always be a legal right to additional support for children and young people with SEND. Any statutory framework is for Parliament to decide on, and any legislative changes will be considered if necessary.

What assessment she has made of the potential merits of replacing the statutory requirement for daily Christian collective worship in schools without a religious character in England with non-confessional assemblies in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling in JR87 2025 UKSC 40.

The legislative framework for providing collective worship in England is different to that in Northern Ireland. However, the department is considering the implications of the Supreme Court judgement carefully. Schools in England already have flexibility to hold assemblies without a religious focus.

Whether she plans to withdraw, revise, or replace Circular 1/94 Religious Education and Collective Worship, in the context of the Supreme Court’s ruling in JR87 2025 UKSC 40.

The legislative framework for providing collective worship in England is different to that in Northern Ireland. However, the department is considering the implications of the Supreme Court judgement carefully. Schools in England already have flexibility to hold assemblies without a religious focus.

If she will publish the details of the review the Department is undertaking regarding assistive technologies for disabled students provided through the Disabled Students’ Allowances grant.

The department keeps all support funded through Disabled Students’ Allowance under regular review to ensure that it continues to meets the needs of disabled students. Any future proposals will be communicated publicly.

What plans she has to ensure that any proposed reforms to the SEND system will be subject to (a) parliamentary and (b) public scrutiny prior to the introduction of legislation.

The department is committed to ensuring parents play a central role in helping shape the future special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. We have launched a National Conversation on SEND, gathering the views of parents, young people, educators, and experts through a range of online and in-person events as well as inviting online contributions. Our SEND regional engagement events bring together diverse stakeholder groups for meaningful dialogue. In addition, we have organised online sessions with my hon. Friend, the Minister for School Standards and expert panels to discuss the department’s five principles of reform.This is not a formal consultation but an expansion of ongoing engagement to ensure parents’ voices are heard. The Schools White Paper, due early next year, will outline our proposed SEND reforms and will be followed by a formal consultation and further engagement.

What estimate her Department has made of the number of home educated children with SEND in Poole constituency.

The department does not hold information on the number of home-educated children at constituency level.The latest statistics on elective home education (EHE) in England are available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/elective-home-education/2024-25-autumn-term.For the 2024/25 autumn term,16% of EHE children were recorded as receiving special educational needs support, whilst 6% of EHE children had an education, health and care plan. This compares with 14% and 5% of the overall school population.

What steps she is taking to develop reading for pleasure in schools.

The department knows that reading for pleasure is hugely important and brings a range of benefits.That is why we are launching the National Year of Reading 2026, in collaboration with the National Literacy Trust. It aims to address long-term declines in reading enjoyment through engaging new audiences, reshaping public attitudes and building the systems needed to embed lasting, meaningful change.On 29 September, my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, committed over £10 million of funding to guarantee a library for every primary school by the end of this parliament. The government will set out further details of the scheme in due course.The government has also committed £27.7 million this financial year to support and drive high and rising standards in reading. This includes supporting the teaching of phonics, early language and reading for pleasure via the English Hubs programme.

How she plans to support disabled students following the implementation of changes to Disabled Students' Allowance funding.

Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) continues to be available to help disabled students with the additional costs that they may face in higher education as a result of their disability. DSA can fund a range of support, including specialist equipment, non-medical help (human support such as specialist one-to-one study skills support or British Sign Language interpreters), and additional disability-related travel and accommodation costs.

What (a) training and (b) support will be given to (i) teachers and (ii) education staff to support the delivery of stronger literacy in schools.

The government has committed £27.7 million this financial year to support and drive high and rising standards in reading. This includes supporting the teaching of phonics, early language and reading for pleasure via the English Hubs programme.We will also build secondary schools' capacity to support students with reading needs by providing new training from January 2026. This training should reach 75% of secondary schools this academic year.Following the recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review published on 5 November 2025, we will also introduce new frameworks on primary oracy and combined secondary oracy, reading and writing.Additionally, on 7 July 2025, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education announced that 2026 will be the National Year of Reading. The National Year of Reading is a UK-wide campaign to address the steep decline in reading enjoyment amongst children, young people, and adults.

What plans her Department has to ensure that children with SEND have access to a GCSE curriculum irrespective of their educational setting.

Every child in our country deserves the best possible school experience; one that is academically stretching, where every child feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work.As part of the department’s Plan for Change, we are determined to fix the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system and restore the trust of parents. We will do this by strengthening accountability on mainstream settings to be inclusive including through Ofsted; support the mainstream workforce to increase their SEND expertise and encourage schools to set up Resourced Provision or special educational needs units to increase capacity in mainstream schools. This will enable children to receive specialist support whilst learning alongside their friends and wider community.On 5 November, the independent Curriculum and Assessment Review published its final report which includes recommendations for a refreshed curriculum and assessment system in England. ​In the government’s response to the report, the department made a clear commitment to supporting a high-quality curriculum, including for children with SEND.

What lessons her Department has learned from the experience of the Strengthening Chess in Primary Schools grant made in the 2023-24 financial year.

​​My right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, has announced £1.5 million in funding from 2026 to support participation in chess, which includes funding for chess in schools. The department will reflect upon insights gathered from the strengthening chess in primary schools grant in developing arrangements for use of the new funding. Further details will be announced in due course.​

Whether her Department plans to distribute funds to support chess in schools during 2025-26.

The core funding schools receive is not ringfenced, and it is for headteachers to decide how best to manage their budgets.

What information her Department holds on the use (a) isolation or (b) internal exclusion rooms by (a) SEND status, (b) gender, (c) ethnicity and (d) free school meal eligibility.

The department does not hold data on the use of isolation or internal exclusion rooms, sometimes referred to as removal.The department trusts headteachers to use their professional judgement, based on the individual circumstances, when issuing a sanction.Schools should consider any underlying causes behind a pupil’s misbehaviour before issuing any form of sanction, including where a pupil has special educational needs or disabilities, or an unmet need.The ‘Behaviour in schools’ guidance outlines expectations around the use of removal from the classroom. Schools should also ensure that removal is used consistently, proportionately, and in a way that supports the pupil’s reintegration into the classroom.

Whether her Department holds information on the number of schools which use (a) isolation and (b) internal exclusion rooms and the frequency of their use in Poole constituency.

The department does not hold data on the use of isolation or internal exclusion rooms, sometimes referred to as removal.The department trusts headteachers to use their professional judgement, based on the individual circumstances, when issuing a sanction.Schools should consider any underlying causes behind a pupil’s misbehaviour before issuing any form of sanction, including where a pupil has special educational needs or disabilities, or an unmet need.The ‘Behaviour in schools’ guidance outlines expectations around the use of removal from the classroom. Schools should also ensure that removal is used consistently, proportionately, and in a way that supports the pupil’s reintegration into the classroom.

Whether she plans to (a) issue national guidance and (b) set consistent reporting requirements on the use of (i) isolation and (ii) internal exclusion in schools.

All schools are required by law to have a behaviour policy which outlines effective strategies that will encourage good behaviour. This government is clear schools can use sanctions as a measure to improve behaviour.The ‘Behaviour in Schools’ guidance outlines expectations around the use of removal from the classroom, which some schools refer to as isolation or informal internal suspension. Schools should ensure that removal is used consistently, proportionately, and in a way that supports the pupil’s reintegration into the classroom. The department trusts headteachers to use their professional judgement, when issuing a sanction.The ‘Behaviour in Schools’ guidance makes clear schools should collect, monitor and analyse removal data internally to interrogate the effectiveness of the use of removal and any additional support individual pupils may require.

What support her Department is providing to local authorities to meet the ongoing costs of SEND provision until the announcement of reforms in 2026.

The department has allocated high needs funding of over £12 billion to help with the ongoing costs of supporting children and young people with complex special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in the 2025/26 financial year.The funding announced at the 2025 spending review, which provided an increase of £4.2 billion, over the next three years, will help to facilitate reform of the SEND system. We are continuing to engage with children, parents and experts as we develop plans to ensure all children get the outcomes and life chances they deserve and will be setting out more detail in the Schools White paper in the new year.