To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what guidance has been provided to local authorities and schools to support the safe return of pupils with sight loss during the covid-19 outbreak.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether his Department plans to monitor the characteristics of pupils returning to school and those remaining at home, including whether a pupil has sight loss, to ensure that pupils with special educational needs are not being excluded and disadvantaged.

The department has published guidance to support the return to school of all children and young people for the autumn term, including those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

Guidance for the full opening of schools is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/actions-for-schools-during-the-coronavirus-outbreak/guidance-for-full-opening-schools.

Guidance for the full opening of special schools and other specialist settings is available here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings/guidance-for-full-opening-special-schools-and-other-specialist-settings.

While the department will collect data on pupils with SEND characteristics overall, the department is not collecting data on attendance in relation to different individual SEND characteristics.