Asked by
To ask His Majesty’s Government what level of support is required
for a teacher trained under the existing initial teacher training
regime to support and educate any person attending a mainstream
school with a diagnosis of dyslexia or autism.
(LD)
My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question standing in my name on
the Order Paper. I remind the House of my declared interests.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for
Education () (Con)
My Lords, initial teacher training is designed to ensure that all
qualified teachers can teach pupils with special educational
needs and disabilities. High-quality teaching is central to
ensuring that pupils with SEND, including those with autism and
dyslexia, are given the best possible opportunity to achieve at
school. All new teachers now also benefit from a two-year
induction, underpinned by the early career framework, which
includes specific focus on teaching pupils with SEND.
(LD)
I thank the Minister for that reply, but most such children are
still identified on the initiative of their parents, not the
school. Does that suggest that there is a lack of knowledge of
these conditions and of other special educational needs in the
teaching profession, particularly as we are losing qualified
teachers at an alarming rate? Will the Minister consider making
it a mandatory requirement that all educational establishments
have level 5-qualified teachers who are able to give the
necessary support to a front-line teacher, particularly an
inexperienced one?
(Con)
Our most recent guidance on initial teacher training, published
just a few weeks ago, recommends two work placements during that
period, stressing that one could be in a special school and the
other could involve mentoring by someone with specialist skills.
In addition, we have updated the SENCO qualifications so that
every teacher has a specialist to whom they can turn for advice.
(Lab)
My Lords, I refer to my interests in the register. Fewer than 40
in every 100 teachers have received autism training. In secondary
schools, that falls to 14 in every 100. As a result, schools are
struggling to support children with learning difficulties,
particularly autism. There are a great many exclusions; an
autistic child is twice as likely to be excluded from school as a
non-autistic child. The National Autistic Society has produced a
report proposing that all teachers be given specialist training
to make sure that children with autism receive the best education
possible. Will the Minister look at that report, go through it
thoroughly and then agree with it?
(Con)
Yes, yes and it depends on what is in the report. The noble Lord
brings enormous expertise in this area. Under our universal
services contract, there is the opportunity for additional
training in autism. We are very focused on this area. I will of
course look at the report and consider it very carefully.
(Con)
My Lords, has my noble friend had an opportunity to see the
Synergy report, which shows that exclusions from school of young
people with autism, ADHD and dyslexia have been dramatically
reduced due to the impact of additional teacher training in the
system? Will she arrange a meeting with the department to discuss
this to see whether we can further enhance outcomes for young
people?
(Con)
I would be delighted to arrange a meeting with my noble friend to
discuss the Synergy programme. She is right that children with
special educational needs might have specific academic
challenges, but, inevitably, behavioural challenges can be linked
to those. We are working very closely with schools to make sure
that, in respect of behaviour and attendance, those children feel
as supported and included as possible.
of Hudnall (Lab)
My Lords, the Minister will be aware that young people with a
diagnosis of autism or ADHD often also exhibit signs of quite
significant mental health issues. The two are not the same. In
creating an education, health and care plan for such young
people, a number of different kinds of input are necessary, from
not just the school but mental health professionals and others.
Does she accept that the problem identified by this Question is
partly if not wholly one of capacity? Even if they have people
trained to do this kind of work, schools are under enormous
pressure and find it very difficult to meet the proper demands of
an EHCP. Will she look into how that capacity issue could be
alleviated?
(Con)
The noble Baroness raises two issues: the importance of
multi-agency input and co-ordination, and capacity. Our Special
Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision
Improvement Plan aims to address exactly those, giving clarity
and confidence to parents as to what they can expect from the
system, and support for teachers, including a number of practice
guides, the initial ones looking at mental health and wellbeing,
autism, and speech and communication needs. So I think we are
addressing all of the points raised by the noble Baroness.
of Hudnall (Lab)
My Lords, I meant to declare my interest: a member of my family
has an EHCP.
(LD)
My Lords, I was a secondary school SENCO, back in the bad old
days of very little specialist training and much ignorance of
dyslexia and other learning difficulties. I was privileged to do
part of my postgraduate training with the late Violet Brand, who
was a renowned pioneer in dyslexia; it was very rare and
ground-breaking. In the Minister’s initial response to the noble
Lord, , she referred to the role of
SENCO. My understanding is that the Government have recently
lowered the national SENCO qualification standard. I was going to
ask the Minister why the Government are dumbing down this
critical role, but I should probably revert to asking her to
clarify the position, because both the British Dyslexia
Association and I seem to have a different take—the standard has
not gone up, it is actually being lowered.
(Con)
There is no question of the Government lowering the standard.
What the Government are seeking to do with the introduction of
the national professional qualification for SENCOs is to ensure
real consistency in SENCO training and qualification, and that it
is practically focused and based on the best evidence possible.
(Lab)
My Lords, last March told the Times Educational
Supplement that the lack of neurodiversity training in initial
teacher training is “striking” and needs to change. Can the
Minister tell us if anything has changed in this policy area
since that statement was made over 15 months ago by a former Tory
Health Secretary?
(Con)
I know that the noble Baroness is a former teacher, so she brings
professional insight to this. We had very serious expert panels,
including educational experts, on special educational needs and
disabilities, both for the core content framework and the reform
of initial teacher training. All of them were clear that trainees
need to be able to teach everyone, and one of the great skills of
a teacher is being adaptive. There also needs to be a pathway to
experts in a school, and that is where the SENCO comes in.
(Con)
My Lords, I declare an interest as I have a family member who is
affected by autism and dyslexia. Does my noble friend agree that
one of the problems is that before people can get support in the
schools, they need a diagnosis, and getting a diagnosis is
extremely difficult and takes a very long time? What are we going
to do about that?
(Con)
I agree with my noble friend that early, accurate and effective
identification is critical, but schools and colleges are
permitted to put in place support for children where they have
identified a need, without needing to wait for a formal
diagnosis.
(LD)
My Lords, may I press the Minister on the issue of the SENCO
qualification? Do I understand correctly that, prior to this
change, it was a master’s-level qualification and now it is a
level 7 NVQ? Given the complexities that many of these youngsters
face, can the Minister explain why that dramatic change in the
level of expertise and training embedded in the qualification is
government policy?
(Con)
I can only repeat what I said in response to the earlier
question. As the noble Baroness knows, the existing qualification
also includes a significant research element, which is important,
and SENCOs can choose, if they wish, to continue to take that.
However, our emphasis is on making sure that SENCOs are equipped
for the practical challenges they face day to day supporting
colleagues in schools, and that this is based on the best
evidence available.
