To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what specialist training is provided to teachers in (a) initial teacher training and (b) ongoing personal development to support children with special needs.

All initial teacher training (ITT) courses must ensure that trainee teachers can meet the Teachers’ Standards at the appropriate level. The standards require trainees to have a clear understanding of the needs of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

We are funding a consortium of sector organisations, the Whole School SEND Consortium, to help schools embed good practice, access school to school support, and share best practice in relation to the teaching of pupils with specific conditions. This will help teachers identify pupils with SEND and use effective interventions to improve educational outcomes for them.

Between 2009 and 2014, the Department funded almost 11,000 new school based special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs) to undertake the master's-level National Award for SEN coordination. We are now reviewing the National Award for SEN coordination and as part of this review are considering whether to extend the award to SENCOs in further education and early years.