wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_206
Source: hansard.parliament.uk (2025-04-28)

UK Parliament Hansard data: wrans/answers2025-04-28 conversation_206

Dr Al Pinkerton:To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps she is taking to improve the (a) availability and (b) quality of autism training for teachers in Surrey Heath constituency. \p Catherine McKinnell: The department is committed to improving support for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The department is focusing on improving inclusivity and expertise in mainstream schools and is working with families and education and care experts to deliver this in the best interests of all children and to restore parents’ trust.

High-quality teaching is the most important in-school factor for improving outcomes for all children, particularly those with SEND including autism, and the department is committed to ensuring that all pupils receive excellent support from their teachers. The Teachers’ Standards set clear expectations that teachers must understand the needs of all pupils. All initial teacher training (ITT) providers must ensure that their courses enable trainee teachers to meet the Teachers’ Standards to be recommended for the award of qualified teacher status.

The ITT Core Content Framework and the Early Career Framework (ECF), for trainee and early career teachers (ECTs) respectively, cover the first three years or more at the start of a teacher’s career. They set out the core body of knowledge, skills and behaviours that define great teaching, and from September 2025, will be superseded by the combined Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework (ITTECF), which sets out a minimum entitlement to training and must be used by providers of ITT and those delivering provider-led early career training to create their curricula. From September 2025 all ECTs will be entitled to a two year induction that is underpinned by the ITTECF, known as the Early Career Teacher Entitlement.

The department’s review of content for the ITTECF paid particular attention to the needs of trainees and ECTs when supporting pupils with SEND. There is now significantly more content related to adaptive teaching and supporting pupils with SEND, some of which has been adapted from the new national professional qualification for special educational needs co-ordinators to be relevant for trainees and ECTs. The department has edited existing statements to improve inclusivity for SEND throughout the framework including, for example, developing an understanding of different pupil needs and learning how to provide opportunities for success for all pupils. The department tested this approach with SEND educational experts with consensus that the approach of ‘quality-first teaching’ would be the best way to improve outcomes for all children. From September 2025, the department has also enhanced the requirement on providers of ECT training to develop SEND training materials.

The department recognises that continuous improvement is essential and has recently committed to a full review of the Early Career Teacher Entitlement in 2027 to ensure it continues to provide the best possible support for ECTs. This review will focus on the support we provide new teachers in teaching pupils with SEND.