To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what proportion of the £4 billion SEND investment package is allocated to universal SEND training for the 0–25 workforce, and what training standard will apply.

The department is investing over £200 million over the course of this Parliament to upskill staff in every school, college and nursery, ensuring a skilled workforce for generations to come. This significant investment, forms a central pillar of the government’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform plans, helping to secure a fairer system where effective support is available for every child with SEND from early years to the age of 25. This investment will be supported by additional direct funding of £1.6 billion over three years in the inclusive mainstream fund for early years, schools and colleges.

We are currently in the development phase of the programme, working with a wide range of experts, including the department’s Inclusion Expert Advisory Group, and the Education Endowment Foundation, to identify what content will be most impactful in supporting schools and colleges to be more inclusive.