David Johnston OBE MP, Minister for Children, Families and Wellbeing, Department for Education (DfE) – Written supplementary evidence (YDP0080)
House of Lords Public Services Committee Inquiry -
The transition from education to employment for young disabled people
Schools and colleges
Q1. What steps are the Department taking to improve awareness of the rights of disabled people through schools, colleges and universities?
In the SEND and AP Improvement Plan (2023), we committed to supporting schools to comply with their duties under the Equality Act 2010, in order to prevent disability discrimination.
We have already made a start by:
We recognise that we need to do more; and:
Staff have an important role to play in modelling positive behaviours and schools should consider what they can do to foster healthy and respectful peer-to-peer communication and behaviour and provide an environment which challenges perceived limits on pupils based on any disability.
Whilst Relationships Education is not compulsory in colleges, as part of Ofsted’s personal development judgement, colleges are expected to promote an inclusive environment that meets the needs of all learners, irrespective of disability.
To ensure that information, advice and guidance is available to young people with learning difficulties and disabilities, the department has a grant with Disability Rights UK (DRUK). One of the key priorities of our grant with DRUK is to empower and enable the voice of young disabled people in colleges, universities, and as apprentices through active discussions, case studies and social media engagement. Moreover, through DRUK’s helpline and wider information, guidance and advice offer, providers and employers can access up to date and clear information on the rights of disabled young people.
Q2. What steps are the Department taking to improve signposting in schools towards employment programmes, disabled people’s organisations, and third sector supporting disabled people move into work? How effectively are schools, colleges and universities currently making disabled students aware of such support?
The SEND Code of Practice is clear that all children and young people with SEND should be prepared for adulthood, including employment.
As set out in the Children and Families Act 2014, mainstream schools and colleges should use their best endeavours to make sure a child or young person with SEN gets the special educational provision they need – and that might include tailored support and signposting an individual to support to prepare for adulthood.
Based on feedback received from our 2022 public consultation about the lack of awareness of future options, particularly relating to post-16 choices, we committed in the SEND and AP improvement plan to developing guidance to support consistent, timely, high-quality transitions for young people with SEND, including into employment. This will look at transitions between all stages of education from early years and will focus initially on transitions into and out of post-16 settings. We are working with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) and organisations from across the post-16 and SEND sectors to develop this guidance and will include signposting to support services and organisations as appropriate.
For those with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) there must be a focus from Year 9 onwards on preparing the young person for adulthood as part of their plan’s annual review; this includes planning for post-16 options and for employment, including consideration of appropriate study programmes, such as Supported Internships.
We fund The Careers & Enterprise Company (CEC) to support and challenge schools, colleges and employers to deliver improved careers guidance, including for young people with SEND. Careers Hubs (part of the CEC’s national infrastructure) forge local partnerships between schools, colleges, employers and training providers in England, to create meaningful work-based opportunities for young people with SEND, share good practice and develop resources with practice centred around SEND, Alternative Provision and Pupil Referral Units. All Careers Hubs are now part of an Inclusion Community of Improvement sharing good practice and developing resources with practice centred around SEND. Many Careers Hubs have a localised offer which is tailored to support collaborative working of Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) and Careers Leaders – a named individual in a school or college responsible for the delivery of a school’s careers programme - to put in place personalised support and a transition plan (which will include signposting to support) for all young people with SEND. The CEC has launched training modules to support SENCOs working with Careers Leaders that promote ways the EHCP process can play a part in delivering effective careers education and provide content and guidance on helping young people prepare for adulthood.
In October 2023 we launched a new website called Skills for Careers that provides a single digital front door to information about skills training options and careers. This includes information about Supported Internships, a programme designed specifically for young people with Education, Health and Care plans. In January 2024 we also launched the unified Skills for Life communication campaign which promotes support and advice across the range of priority skills programmes.
The DfE supports Disability Rights UK through a grant to provide a targeted support offer for SEND learners and apprentices across post-16 provision. The grant aims to boost the skills pipeline by supporting young people with disabilities through suitable post-16 pathways and onto skilled employment. As part of this grant, DRUK deliver a Disabled Student Helpline, online information and social media content to inform disabled people of the support available and signpost towards relevant services.
Q3. We have been told that there are significant challenges capturing destination data for young people leaving education due to people losing contact with institutions and local authorities.
a) What steps are the Department taking to gather destination data of pupils with special educational needs and disabilities?
The Department publishes information on the sustained destination of students in the academic year after they complete key stage 4 (KS4) or 16-18 study. Each of these releases has a breakdown by special educational needs status. These statistics show the number and percentage of pupils continuing to a sustained education, apprenticeship, or employment destination in England – meaning the young person has sustained participation for a 6-month period in the academic year after completing KS4 or 16-18 study. The latest available data covers the 2020/21 cohort (2021 leavers) and their destinations in the 2021/22 academic year.
All destinations data we publish is based on a set of administrative datasets available to the Department and the measures are obtained from matching of these administrative datasets and require no additional data collection.
Alongside these we also produce statistics looking at students’ destinations over a longer time period. These statistics show the number of students that have sustained at least 6 months of education, apprenticeship or employment activity in their first, third and fifth year after finishing key stage 4. We have committed to extending the breakdowns we publish on SEN in this release, and breakdowns by primary category of need and SEN provision will be included for the first time in May 2024.
Local authorities have a duty to collect data for two years (post KS4) to meet their duty to track and support 16- and- 17-year-olds into education or training.
Local Authorities also provide the Department with information about children and young people with EHC Plans, via the SEN2 data collection. From 2023, this has included individual learner level, rather than aggregated returns, for each LA. This means that we will receive improved information on individuals with EHC plans, including what setting they are in (or if they are NEET, or pursuing elective home education), and when an EHCP ceases, the reasons for cessation – including, for example, where this is as the result of a transition to higher education or paid employment. However, as with any new data collection, there are some quality issues and limitations to the data received, which we are working with LAs to address.
To meet Gatsby Benchmark 3, schools must collect and maintain accurate data for each student on their education, training or employment destination for at least three years after they leave school (i.e. post KS4). The Careers & Enterprise Company support schools and colleges to collect destinations data, through Careers Leader training and resources and the Compass+ self-assessment tool that assists schools to track both intended and actual destinations. The Department has produced a destinations good practice guide to support schools and colleges to understand the benefits of using destination data to assess performance, inform provision (including careers programmes and curriculum strategies) and identify target groups and ensure that students are receiving the support they need to prevent them from becoming NEET.
b) Can the Department provide the Committee with the latest data on pupils with SEND considering destination at a) 6 months b) one year c) three years and d) five years?
The Department does not produce information on student destinations 6 months after they leave, given the need for a student to have sustained a destination over the time period.
Attached are permalink tables from the KS4 and longer-term destination releases showing a breakdown of destinations after one, three and five years by SEN status for state funded mainstream schools in England:
Below are permalink tables from the 16-18 destination measures releases showing a breakdown by SEN status for state funded mainstream schools and a breakdown by LLDD (Learning difficulties or disabilities) status for state funded mainstream colleges in England, for the 2020/21 cohort (2021 leavers) and their destination in the 2021/22 academic year:
The cohorts included and methodology used differ across these publications and therefore are not directly comparable. For example, the DfE's destinations statistics relate to sustained destinations unlike, for example, Labour Force Survey NEET statistics which relate to a person's status at a point in time.
Q4. What is the number of a) mainstream secondary schools, b) colleges, c) special schools and d) AP schools which have been supported by the Jobcentre+ for schools programme?
As Support for Schools is a DWP programme, DWP has confirmed they will include a reply to this question as part of their response to the supplementary questions they expect the committee to raise following the PSC session on 17th April attended by Minister Davies (Minister for Disabled People, Health and Work at DWP), Lorraine Jackson (Director DWP and DHSC Joint Work and Health Directorate at DWP) and Tammy Fevrier (Deputy Director for Youth & Skills at DWP).
Careers education
Q5. We’ve heard reports of disabled pupils being deprioritised and ‘written off’ as never being able to get a job, and subsequently those pupils being deprioritised in careers education. What steps are the Department taking to address attitudinal barriers disabled pupils face in schools?
We know that with the right preparation and support, the overwhelming majority of young people with SEND are capable of sustained, paid employment. All professionals working with them should share that presumption and should provide the career advice and support that help young people to develop the skills and experience, and achieve the qualifications, that they need to succeed in their careers.
Social justice is one of our three priorities for careers (along with a single, unified careers system and skills, training and work experience). We believe that everybody should be able to make the most of their talents and ambition. Careers guidance is an important element of the support that is made available to help young people with SEND to make successful transitions.
We outline in our careers statutory guidance that we expect all secondary schools and colleges to use the eight Gatsby Benchmarks of Good Career Guidance to develop and improve their careers provision for young people and this includes Benchmark 3 - Addressing the needs of each pupil. This benchmark recognises that pupils have different careers guidance needs at different stages and therefore opportunities for advice and support need to be tailored to the needs of each pupil, with the school’s overall careers programme embedding equality and diversity considerations throughout. Section 42A of the Education Act 1997 places a statutory duty on all maintained schools, academies, alternative provision academies and pupil referral units (PRUs) to secure independent careers guidance. This applies to all year 7 to 13 pupils and, for those of compulsory school age, must include information on the full range of 16-18 education or training options. FE colleges and sixth form colleges have an equivalent requirement in their funding agreements – this applies to all students up to and including age 18 and to 19- to 25-year-olds with education, health and care plans.
Schools and colleges should raise the career aspirations of their students with SEND and broaden their employment horizons. They should use a wide range of imaginative approaches, such as taster opportunities, work experience, mentoring, exploring entrepreneurial options, role models and inspiring speakers. Careers leaders should work closely with the relevant teachers and professionals in their school or college, including the SENCO, inclusion team, and the careers adviser, to identify the guidance needs of all pupils and put in place personalised support and a transition plan, including meaningful and appropriate provider encounters.
In partnership with Disability Rights UK, we support the Disabled Apprentice Network (DAN). The Network provides a space for apprentices who have a learning difficulty or disability (LDD) to discuss their experiences and to support each other as they progress through their apprenticeship journey. Recommendations from the DAN formed the basis of the LDD Apprentice Mentoring Pilot which was launched in Jan 2024, with the aim of developing our understanding of how various approaches to mentoring can support apprentices with LDD, and understanding of the needs and requirements of the mentors too.
The pilot currently focuses activity on a small cohort of interested training providers. Providers and mentors will receive a package of bespoke training, advice and support in how to support people with LDD throughout the pilot delivered by Disability Rights UK.
The Department for Education is committed to attracting and retaining talented teachers from all backgrounds and supporting all teachers in their career journeys. Our recruitment campaigns are targeted at audiences of students, recent graduates, and potential career changers regardless of their identity or background. We take every effort to ensure that our advertising is fully reflective of this across the full range of marketing materials we use.
The Teaching marketing campaign provides inspiration and support to explore a career in teaching and directs people to the Get Into Teaching service. Through a new website, prospective trainees can access support and advice through expert one-to-one Teacher Training Advisers, a contact centre, and a national programme of events. The Get School Experience digital service also arranges school experience placements between prospective candidates and schools.
We are continuously working to address barriers across the teacher career journey, ensuring that our programmes work for all teachers, including those with protected characteristics. In delivering our services, we aim to comply with good practice as set out by the Government Digital Service, which ensures that key considerations like accessibility are addressed. Our suite of digital services is designed to ensure a more streamlined, and user-friendly application route.
Accredited ITT providers carry the primary responsibility of ensuring support is available for all candidates. The ITT criteria and supporting advice requires accredited ITT providers to check the accessibility requirements of applicants, and make any reasonable adjustments. Accredited ITT providers must also ensure that they comply with current legislation relevant to ITT, including the Equality Act 2010.
Gatsby Benchmark 5: “Encounters with employers and employees” sets out that every pupil should have multiple opportunities to learn from employers about work, employment and the skills that are valued in the workplace. The Insight Briefing: Gatsby Benchmark results for 2022/23 found that 87% of students in a SEND/AP Schools had experience of a workplace during year 12, year 13 or above, representing a 5% pts increase from 2021/22. This can be through a range of enrichment activities including visiting speakers, industry-specific programmes, mentoring and enterprise schemes.
However, while it may give pupils with SEND the opportunity to meet disabled adults who have successfully moved into work after education, this is not guaranteed. Should this activity happen, it would occur as part of a broader progressive programme of careers activity supported by the CEC. We are aware that there is much further to go in supporting pupils with SEND, and we will discuss this in further detail in our forthcoming Strategic Action Plan for Careers.
Q6. The Department’s evidence states that there is a “SEND-specific version of the CEC Compass Tool to enable institutions to evaluate their careers activity against the Gatsby Benchmarks”. Officials have since stated that there are not separate benchmarks for SEND. Can the Department share the number and proportion of a) special schools b) mainstream schools and c) AP schools which report information via the SEND-specific version of the Compass tool, and what data is gathered by the SEND specific tool for those institutions?
As we set out in supplementary written evidence (YDP0077) on 24th February 2024, the SEND version of the Compass survey is specifically designed to gather information on the careers education and guidance provided in special schools, alternative provision (AP), and mainstream schools with high SEND enrolment. This tailored version of the survey allows these educational institutions to evaluate their career guidance activities against the Gatsby Benchmarks in a way that is appropriate for their student population, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
There are three versions of the Compass survey – mainstream schools, post-16 colleges and SEND. In 2022/23, 753 special schools (95.1% of all special schools) reported information via the SEND-specific version of the CEC Compass Tool. In addition, 23 AP institutions and 1 mainstream school completed the SEND-specific version of the survey. A further 39 SEND institutions opted to complete the college or mainstream school versions of the survey. 233 AP schools chose to complete the mainstream school survey. The overarching eight Gatsby Benchmarks are the same for the three versions of the Compass survey. The composite sub-benchmarks differ slightly for Benchmarks 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
A table showing (in bold text) where there are differences in the sub benchmarks included in the mainstream version of the Compass survey tool, compared with those for the SEND-specific version of the tool, is available in the annex.
Q7. What assessment has the Department made of a) the number of qualified and practising careers advisers in England and b) the number of careers advisers who have received specialist training relating to careers advice for disabled people in England, in each of the last five years?
We want to help build, grow and empower the careers workforce of today and tomorrow to deliver high-quality personal guidance to all and to play their part in bringing about wider economic and societal benefits. However, a lack of comprehensive, granular data on the careers development professional workforce makes it difficult to draw overall conclusions about the number of qualified careers advisers practising in different settings, including those who have received specialist training relating to careers advice for people with disabilities. We will explore this challenge in more depth in our forthcoming Strategic Action Plan for Careers, which we will publish in 2024.
We understand that trained and experienced careers development professionals, employed in a range of settings, play an indispensable role in ensuring that individuals are inspired to fulfil their potential, understand the breadth of careers options open to them, and are aware of the variety of pathways and routes to achieve success.
In schools and colleges, the careers legislative framework and the Gatsby Benchmarks have helped to establish the importance of the role of career development professionals. The Insight Briefing: Gatsby Benchmark results for 2022/23 found that:
The National Careers Service provides free, up to date, impartial information, advice and guidance on careers, skills and the Labour Market in England and offers in-depth, tailored support to customers who fall into one or more of 6 priority groups including any adult over 19 (or 18 and not in education, employment or training) with learning difficulties and disabilities. The National Careers Service (the Service) is delivered by careers advisers across three integrated channels: local community-based in-depth, tailored support; telephone and webchat support; and the Service website. The Service conducts an annual workforce development survey to audit the number of careers advisers working across these channels, which includes information gathering on their qualifications, however the data collected represents a specific point in time.
All National Careers Service providers must hold the matrix Standard – the Department of Education’s standard for ensuring the delivery of high-quality information, advice and guidance (IAG). The matrix Standard sets a requirement that staff have the skills knowledge and qualifications to deliver their IAG roles. There are established competencies to meet the requirement of the IAG delivery and staff are monitored, managed and supported to extend and develop their competency via Continuous Personal Development (CPD). As customers with learning difficulties and disabilities are a priority group for the Service, we require that all staff are competent and trained to support the needs of the group. As part of the Service’s Quality programme, we have recently commissioned the Careers Development Institute (CDI), the UK’s professional body for all aspects of careers work, to develop a programme of bespoke training for National Careers Service advisers. One strand of this will be focussed on supporting our SEND customers. Delivery is due to begin in the summer.
Q8. What assessment has the Department made of disabled pupils’ access to a) work experience b) contact with employers?
Employers are engaging with schools and colleges in greater numbers than ever before, helping to connect careers information and advice and provide workplace opportunities for young people – including disabled young people.
We fund the CEC to support secondary schools to provide young people with multiple interactions with employers from Year 7 to 13 in line with Gatsby Benchmark 6 - Experiences of the Workplace. We have asked the CEC to increase workplace opportunities, targeting pupils with SEND and those from disadvantaged backgrounds, in response to evidence that these pupils are less likely to access work experience opportunities than their peers.
Via Careers Hubs the CEC oversees, coordinates and quality assures a network that is growing at scale, working with around 400 major employers (Cornerstones) to bring together business and education effort. 92% of schools and colleges are in a Careers Hub.
The CEC understand the importance of tailored support for young disabled people. As part of the Careers Hub Network, Enterprise Coordinators (trained professionals who work with a cluster of 20 schools and colleges to build careers plans and make connections to local and national employers) and Enterprise Advisers (volunteers from business responsible for building connections between employers and education institutions in their local area) are offered SEND awareness training. 300 Enterprise Coordinators have completed the training and there are now 38 named SEND specific Enterprise Coordinators in place across 31 Careers Hubs.
To support employers of all sizes and Enterprise Advisers when working with young people with SEND, the CEC offer step-by-step resources, co-developed with SEND specialists, designed to increase levels of confidence in providing experiences and encounters of work. The CEC’s Careermag for Inclusion series is designed for employers who do not currently work with young people with SEND. It showcases case studies of success to inspire employers to get involved and highlights the benefits for young people and the business. Encouragingly, CEC data suggest that employers’ careers activity already supports an inclusive vision, with 59% most likely to target young people with SEND.
As part of grant funding negotiations between the CEC and Careers Hubs, the network was advised use a proportion of their Hub Delivery Fund (funding provided to all Careers Hubs to target local priorities) to increase the quantity and quality of opportunities for young people to engage in encounters of the workplace, with a focus on Alternative Provision, SEND and Pupil Referral Units across all year groups. One funded activity, ‘Let’s Explore VR’ delivered fully immersive experiences to SEND pupils across the Liverpool City Region, who faced barriers to accessing workplace careers insights and traditional work experience.
We know that the longer Careers Hubs work with schools and colleges, the more breadth and depth of exposure students – including young disabled students - have to employers. Analysis by the CEC has found that young people are having more touchpoints with employers than before – inside school, outside school and through the curriculum: 96% of young people in secondary education had at least one employer encounter last year.
Despite this, there’s still more to do better and more fully to support young people with SEND, and young people more generally, to access employers and experiences of the workplace, and will set out more detail in the Strategic Action Plan for Careers which we will publish in 2024.
Q9. Witnesses in the inquiry have consistently recommended the development of mandatory disability focused careers training modules to support the transition to employment for young disabled people. Does the Minister consider this to be a helpful route in addressing the absence of targeted careers advice in schools?
The Department recognises the additional challenges faced by pupils with disabilities and learning difficulties as they look to transition out of education and is committed to ensuring that these young people receive the support in school or college that they need to transition successfully.
Schools and colleges are expected to develop and improve their careers provision for young people in line with the world-class Gatsby Benchmarks, addressing the individual needs of each pupil, and seeking to raise the career aspirations of students with SEND. As referenced in earlier answers, we fund the CEC to support and challenge schools, colleges and employers to deliver improved careers guidance, which includes targeted and individualised careers guidance for young people with disabilities.
Our investment has resulted in the CEC overseeing the delivery of accredited training for more than 3,000 Careers Leaders, supported by digital tools and resources, to lead careers provision in a school or college. Careers Leaders implement and quality assure careers strategies, network with employers and providers and coordinate the contributions of careers advisers and subject teachers. Importantly, the CEC assist Careers Leaders in schools and colleges to work closely with the Special Educational Needs Coordinator (SENCO), inclusion teams and the careers adviser, to identify the guidance needs of pupils and put in place personalised support and a transition plans. The CEC also provide training for Careers Leaders and SENCOs in schools to support the development of careers plans and employer experiences appropriate to the needs of students with SEND. This is in addition to the SEND awareness training that the CEC offer to their national network of Enterprise Coordinators and named SEND specific Enterprise Coordinators, already mentioned in Q8 of this written evidence.
The CEC works with National Association for Special Educational Needs (nasen) and the consortium of SEND charities Whole School SEND, to ensure their support and training is informed by organisations that have knowledge of the challenges faced by young disabled people when thinking about careers.
The variety of training and support being offered to schools and colleges by the CEC to provide tailored, personalised careers advice and guidance to young people with SEND is leading to positive outcomes without the need to introduce any mandatory disability-focussed careers training for schools to complete. An average of 5.5 Gatsby Benchmarks were achieved across Careers Hubs in 23/24, with faster progress being made by institutions in the upper two quartiles of FSM, SEND Institutions and Alternative Provision. Data also show that 97% of schools and colleges are working proactively with their Local Authority and careers advisers around career guidance and progression of vulnerable and SEND students.
We can of course always go further. We intend to publish a Strategic Action Plan for Careers in 2024, which will include improving careers provision for young people with SEND and those not receiving careers advice via their education.
Education, Health and Care Plans
Q10. What steps are the Department taking to ensure that SEND support moves with a young person when they move between schools, colleges, to university and to work, considering both young people with EHCPs and without EHCPs but with SEND?
Successful transitions throughout a young person’s education and life must be well planned, and the people supporting them should be aware of their needs and ambitions.
We know that support is often not in place at the point of transition as information about students’ needs is not shared readily, easily or early enough. For students with an EHCP, local authorities must specify the post-16 provision and name a setting by 31 March for students leaving school, but we are aware that this deadline is regularly missed.
For students moving to Higher Education, local authorities should plan a smooth transition to the higher education institution (and, where applicable, to the new local authority area) before ceasing to maintain a young person’s EHCP. Once the young person’s place has been confirmed at a higher education institution, the local authority must pass a copy of their EHCP to the relevant person in that institution at the earliest opportunity, where they are asked to do so by the young person. The local authority must also make young people aware through their local offer of the support available to them in higher education and how to claim it, including the Disabled Students Allowance (DSA).
For those without an EHCP, there is no consistent approach for sharing information between schools and post-16 settings.
To address this, in the SEND and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan we committed to develop good practice guidance to support consistent, timely, high-quality transitions. This will ultimately look at transitions between all stages of education from early years and will focus initially on transitions into and out of post-16 settings. This includes transitions into employment, adult services and for young people leaving alternative provision at the end of key stage 4, building on learning from the recent Alternative Provision Transition Fund.
We also worked with DWP to launch the Student Adjustments Planner in November 2023, which aims to help to smooth the transition through Higher Education and into employment for people with disabilities or health conditions. This contains information about a student’s needs to empower them to have conversations with their employers. The Adjustments Planner has recently been trialled with supported interns and apprentices. We are considering how or if this may be expanded to other settings.
Q11. Considering recent reports that councils are “rationing” access to EHC needs assessments due to funding shortfalls, what assessment have the Department made of local authorities’ ability to offer EHCPs which meet the needs of young disabled people? What steps have the Department taken to support local authorities financially?
The Government’s two high need deficit intervention programmes, Safety Valve and Delivering Better Value, are designed to improve local SEND services by making the very best use of resources to deliver the support that children and young people need.
The last few years have shown that increased spend does not automatically equate to better outcomes for children and young people – running systems more effectively does. Safety Valve and Delivering Better Value plans must have the support and engagement of local leaders, schools, parent and carer forums, and other key stakeholders. As such, plans usually place emphasis on improving the availability of support in and to mainstream schools, increasing early access to support, building parental confidence in the system, and increasing the availability of local provision. It is only through taking these steps and through the genuine collaboration of all partners locally that high needs systems can be delivered effectively and sustainably for the future.
These plans are not an exercise in making cuts to services, and do not, under any circumstances, excuse or prevent local authorities from delivering on their statutory requirements to provide for children and young people with SEN. The Safety Valve agreements and Delivering Better Value plans, based on proposals put forward by each local authority, hold those authorities to account for doing so in the most effective and sustainable way, for the benefit of children and young people.
SV agreements are only made if both the local authority and the Department’s expert SEND advisers agree that the proposals will give children and young people a better service and comply with the local authority’s statutory obligations.
To ensure that local authorities and schools are able to spend effectively and manage the increasing costs of supporting children and young people with SEND, we have increased funding. Including the additional funding for teachers’ pay and pensions, funding for both mainstream schools and high needs is rising by £2.9 billion in 2024-25, compared to 2023-24. The total core school budget will total £60.7 billion in 2024-25 – the highest ever level in real terms per pupil.
High needs funding will rise to £10.5 billion in 2024-25 – an increase of over 60% from the 2019-20 allocations. Between the 2019 and 2023 financial years, high needs funding increased by over 50%, while there has been a 46% increase in the number of EHC plans between January 2019 and January 2023.
Curriculum and assessment reform
Q12. What assessment has the Department made of the impact of the removal of funding for BTECs and the introduction of T Levels on students with SEND? Has the Department conducted an Equalities Impact Assessment, and will they publish this?
We published a full impact assessment which assesses the potential impact of defunding qualifications, including some BTECs, on students with SEND, as part of our response to the second consultation, which set out how we would reform qualifications at Level 3. This can be found here Review of post-16 qualifications at level 3 in England: impact assessment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Q13. Given the move to end of course written assessments, which may make it harder for some young people with SEND to secure qualifications, what steps will the Department take to ensure that young disabled people can access qualifications which record their achievements and support them to access work?
Learners with SEND are overrepresented on lower-level qualifications – those at level 2, level 1 and entry level. Following our post-16 qualification reforms, a range of qualifications will remain available at each of these levels, with assessment methods which are appropriate for the type and level of qualification. This includes qualifications which aim to support learners into work.
We made the move to a linear exams system to encourage deeper subject understanding and readiness for further study, instead of focusing on module resits. Testing how much a student knows at the end – rather than part way through – a course is also fairer, giving them the opportunity to show their accumulated knowledge and understanding across all topics. It also means more time is spent on teaching and holistic learning. Ofqual research shows there is little evidence that coursework has any impact on outcomes for students of different socio-economic statuses (SES) or for students with special educational needs.
Supported Internships
Q14. What progress has been made towards the target in the SEND and AP improvement plan to double the capacity of the Supported Internships Programme by 2025?
In September 2022, the Internships Work consortium, led by NDTi[1] and joined by BASE[2] and DFN Project Search, were announced as the delivery partner for our £18 million investment, which aims to build capacity in the supported internships programme and double the number of supported internships to 4,500[3] by March 2025. As part of this investment, up to £10.8 million in grant funding is available to all local authorities, alongside support and training, to enable them to access a supported employment forum and strengthen the quality of their supported internship offers.
The consortium is making great progress with delivery. So far:
We believe we are on track to meet our target to double the number of supported internships. Indicative figures from our delivery partner show that 3250 young people are undertaking a supported internship this year.
We are ambitious for the programme and want to see capacity of the programme grow so that as many young people as possible can benefit from the opportunities offered by the Supported Internship approach.
a. What steps are the Department taking to ensure pupils with SEND will be able to access meaningful Level 3 qualifications which support them to access employment?
We are absolutely committed to ensuring that people with special educational needs and disabilities can access a high-quality suite of qualifications that equip them with the knowledge and skills required for the jobs of the future.
At level 3, we have introduced T Levels which are high-quality technical qualifications for 16–19-year-olds that include a meaningful 9-week industry placement. We have introduced flexibilities to help as many SEND students as possible to access T Level industry placements, for example, including allowing up to 105 hours of their placement to take place on the provider’s site. This will enable students to prepare for their placement with an external employer, alongside pastoral support.
Furthermore, at level 3, students can access A levels and a range of other technical qualifications. Providers can create tailored study programmes providing additional support, for example, by including work experience and study skills that complement the qualification being taught. Students looking to progress to skilled employment may also take a mixed study programme containing a large technical qualification combined with small Alternative Academic Qualifications or A level. The technical qualification will form the core of the programme including a tailored learning plan where the outcome is technical competence and progression to skilled employment.
Qualifications at level 2 and below are just as important as those at level 3 and above. That is why we are raising the quality of qualifications and putting in place additional support for those who need it. This includes the academic progression programme pilot and the T Level foundation year, where we have seen 49% of students progress to level 3 or higher from the first cohort.
It is not acceptable for any young person to be studying poor quality qualifications. Our reforms will benefit all young people, including those with SEND. As the aim of this reform is to improve qualification provision at level 3 and below, we expect students over-represented at these, levels such as those from disadvantaged backgrounds or with SEND, to be the biggest recipients of the benefits of these changes.
Q15. What stage has the Department’s pilot on Supported Internships for people without EHCPs reached? When does the Department envision deciding whether to roll out changes, and how long it would take to implement eligibility changes?
The pilot to test supported internships with young people with learning difficulties or disabilities (LDD) but without EHCPs is being delivered through our existing contract with Internships Work and their established relationships with the 12 local authorities who were successful in our bidding round last summer. Grant funding will be available to these local authorities until March 2025, alongside support and monitoring. We are expecting to reach c.250 young people through the pilot. The following 12 local authorities are involved:
10 of the 12 local authorities began delivery in the 2023-24 financial year. The remaining 2 are beginning delivery in this new financial year, alongside the other 10 local authorities.
All local authorities attended an initial meeting earlier this year to discuss delivery plans and progress so far. For example:
Once the pilot has been evaluated, we will carefully consider the possibility of making the programme available across all areas of the country, based on the findings. The evaluation is due to be completed in early 2026, although if there are any findings we can consider ahead of this we will do so. We will be considering any long-term changes required to implement any eligibility changes as part of our consideration of the evaluation’s findings.
Due to the limited time we have to conduct the pilot, with funding available to March 2025, the pilot is initially being rolled out in a small number of local authorities with a strong, existing supported internship offer, in a mix of urban and rural areas. This will enable us to test if this model is an effective route in supporting young people with complex learning difficulties and disabilities without EHCPs into employment.
In the criteria for local authorities that we invited to bid to take part in the pilot, we specified that they must engage with young people aged 16-24 who have complex SEND/LDD but who do not have an EHCP, and who need extra support to progress to sustained, paid employment. This may include young people who are NEET and furthest from the labour market, for example.
We are clear that supported internships must be for young people who need the high level of support the programme provides, including support from a trained job coach, in order to transition into paid employment. The pilot will help us understand and manage any risks relating to this.
Q16. Concerns have been expressed by some witnesses over the quality of employability courses offered by some further education providers. How are you assuring the quality of these courses across the sector?
Ofsted inspects an entire provider’s publicly-funded provision, including Adult Learning, such as programmes for those with SEND, vocational training, employability training and community learning. Ofsted’s focus is on the quality of education and training being delivered in line with the functions given to Ofsted by Parliament and as set out in the inspection framework and handbook. Inspectors will judge a variety of factors, such as curriculum; record-keeping of the quality of training and its outcomes; how staff support learners to ensure they progress as they should and how staff work with learners to ensure that teaching; learning and assessment enable learners to develop personal, social and employability skills that prepare them well for their intended job role, career aims and/or personal goals.
In February 2024 Ofsted launched a thematic review into Preparation for Adulthood. Six visits to local areas are planned before the end of the academic year to examine how local area partners make sure that children and young people with SEND are effectively prepared for adulthood.
Furthermore, we are currently consulting on new national standards for Personal, Social and Employability Qualifications at level 1 and entry level, which are taken by many young people with SEND. The consultation opened on 25 March and closes on 20 May. The new standards will improve the quality and consistency of these qualifications, and support better progression to good outcomes including employment, further study and independent living. We will also ensure the qualifications offer is streamlined and easy for learners, parents and employers to navigate.
26 April 2024
ANNEX
To support our response to Q6: table showing (in bold text) where there are differences in the sub benchmarks included in the mainstream version of the Compass survey tool, compared with those for the SEND-specific version of the tool.
Benchmark | Mainstream version | SEND version |
Benchmark 1: A stable careers programme | School has Careers Leader | School has Careers Leader |
Careers programme includes feedback from parents/carers | Careers programme includes feedback from parents/carers | |
Careers programme includes feedback from employers | Careers programme includes feedback from employers | |
Careers programme includes feedback from teachers | Careers programme includes feedback from teachers | |
Careers programme includes feedback from students | Careers programme includes feedback from students | |
Careers programme evaluated at least every 3 years | Careers programme evaluated at least every 3 years | |
Website has information aimed at parents/carers | Website has information aimed at parents/carers | |
Website has information aimed at employers | Website has information aimed at employers | |
Website has information aimed at teachers | Website has information aimed at teachers | |
Website has information aimed at students | Website has information aimed at students | |
Careers programme is published on website | Careers programme is published on website | |
Careers programme has strategic and operational elements | Careers programme has strategic and operational elements | |
Careers programme is regularly monitored | Careers programme is regularly monitored | |
Careers programme has resources/funding allocated to it | Careers programme has resources/funding allocated to it | |
Careers programme has explicit backing of senior leadership | Careers programme has explicit backing of senior leadership | |
Careers programme is approved by the governors | Careers programme is approved by the governors | |
Careers programme is written down | Careers programme is written down | |
Benchmark 2: Learning from career and labour market information | Parents/carers are encouraged to access LMI, study options and career paths information to inform support for children | Parents/carers are encouraged to access LMI, study options and career paths information to inform support for children |
76-100% learners use labour market information during programme of study | 76-100% learners use labour market information during programme of study | |
Benchmark 3: Addressing the needs of each pupil | School works proactively with LA/careers advisers around the careers guidance and progression of vulnerable and SEND students | School works proactively with LA/careers advisers around the careers guidance and progression of vulnerable and SEND students |
School shares accurate and timely data with the local authority on pupil transitions and destinations | School shares accurate and timely data with the local authority on pupil transitions and destinations | |
School collects and maintains accurate data for each pupil on their destinations for 3 years after they leave school/after they leave college | School collects and maintains accurate data for each pupil on their destinations for 3 years after they leave school/after they leave college | |
School enables pupils to access accurate records about their own careers and enterprise experiences | School enables pupils to access accurate records about their own careers and enterprise experiences | |
School keeps systematic records on experiences of career and enterprise activity | School keeps systematic records on experiences of career and enterprise activity | |
Career programme challenges stereotypical thinking | Career programme challenges stereotypical thinking | |
Career programme actively seeks to raise the aspirations of all students | Career programme actively seeks to raise the aspirations of all students | |
Benchmark 4: Linking curriculum learning to careers | 76-100% students have experienced curriculum learning that highlights the relevance of PSHE to future career | 76-100% students have experienced person-centred curriculum learning that highlights the relevance of PSHE to future career or progression paths |
76-100% students have experienced curriculum learning that highlights the relevance of Science to future career | 76-100% students have experienced person-centred curriculum learning that highlights the relevance of Science to future career or progression paths | |
76-100% students have experienced curriculum learning that highlights the relevance of Maths to future career | 76-100% students have experienced person-centred curriculum learning that highlights the relevance of Maths to future career or progression paths | |
76-100% students have experienced curriculum learning that highlights the relevance of English to future career | 76-100% students have experienced person-centred curriculum learning that highlights the relevance of English to future career or progression paths | |
Benchmark 5: Encounters with employers and employees | 76-100% of students have at least 1 encounter with an employer every year they are at school | 76-100% of students (for whom appropriate) have at least 1 encounter with an employer every year they are at school |
Benchmark 6: Experiences of workplaces | 76-100% students have had experience of workplace in Y12 or Y13 | 76-100% of students (for whom appropriate) have experience of workplace or community-based setting during Y12, Y13 and above |
76-100% students have had experience of workplace by end Y11 | 76-100% of students (for whom appropriate) have experience of workplace or community-based setting by end Y11 | |
Benchmark 7: Encounters with further and higher education | 76-100% students have had at least 2 visits to HE providers | 76-100% students (for whom appropriate) have had at least 2 visits to HE providers |
76-100% students have had meaningful encounters with HE providers | 76-100% students (for whom appropriate) have had meaningful encounters with HE providers | |
76-100% students have had meaningful encounters with Independent Training Providers | 76-100% students (for whom appropriate) have had meaningful encounters with Independent Training Providers | |
76-100% students have had meaningful encounters with FE colleges | 76-100% students (for whom appropriate) have had meaningful encounters with FE colleges | |
76-100% students have had information about the full range of apprenticeships | 76-100% students (for whom appropriate) have had information about the full range of apprenticeships | |
76-100% students have had meaningful encounters with sixth form colleges | 76-100% students (for whom appropriate) have had meaningful encounters with sixth form colleges | |
Benchmark 8: Personal guidance | 76-100% students have had 2+ interviews with a qualified careers adviser by the end of Year 13 | 76-100% students (for whom appropriate) have had 2+ interviews with a qualified careers adviser by the end of Year 13 |
76-100% students have had an interview with a qualified careers adviser by the end of Year 11 | 76-100% students have had an interview with a qualified careers adviser by the end of Year 11 |
[1] National Development Team for Inclusion
[2] British Association for Supported Employment
[3] The target in our contracts, that our delivery partners are working towards is 4500, and we believe we are on track to achieve that. That figure been rounded up to 5,000 in some media communications, and that rounded-up figure was also submitted in the written evidence provided to the Committee last year - our apologies. We are of course ambitious for the programme, and want to see capacity of the programme grow so that as many young people as possible can benefit from the opportunities offered by the Supported Internship approach.