Effective early identification and intervention is critical in improving the outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Access to support should not be dependent on a child or young person having a diagnosis, and a diagnosis alone does not help a teacher know what strategies to use to support that child in the classroom.

As set out in the SEND reform consultation document “Putting Children and Young People First”, the department will develop National Inclusion Standards. These will set out evidence-informed tools, strategies and approaches for educators to draw on to identify and support children and young people with additional needs, before those needs escalate. By 2028, we will have invested up to £15 million to build the evidence base for, and then provide, National Inclusion Standards.

In addition, government-backed research delivered by UK Research Innovation in partnership with the department will aim to develop and roll out approaches for the early identification, strengths and needs assessment, and support of children and young people with special educational needs.

The department and NHS England continue to track the progress that the Surrey Local Area Partnership is making following its Ofsted/CQC SEND inspection in September 2023, which found inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND, alongside providing on-going advice, support and challenge.

The ‘Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls’, published on 18 December 2025, sets out the strategic direction and concrete actions to prevent violence and abuse, pursue perpetrators, and support victims, and to deliver the department’s unprecedented commitment to halve violence against women and girls in a decade.

We have committed to investing £3 million in a teacher training fund over the next two years to ensure that the new relationships, sex and health education (RSHE) curriculum has the greatest impact and £5 million to pilot healthy relationships training delivered by external providers.

We have already published updated guidance for RSHE, which includes a focus on developing skills for healthy relationships from the beginning of primary school, and equipping children with the tools to tackle harmful influences. Pupils will have opportunities to develop positive conceptions of masculinity and femininity, and at secondary, to understand the harmful impacts of misogynistic online content, including pornography.

We will be doing a full evaluation of our pilots to ensure we can embed best practice.

Every child in our country deserves the best possible educational experience, one that is academically stretching, where every child and young person feels like they belong, and that sets them up for life and work.

The department knows from our extensive engagement with parents, teachers, local authority staff and leaders, charities and others that there are significant challenges in the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system. They need to be addressed urgently. But we must ensure we do so in a way that builds trust and confidence in the system and leads to improved outcomes for children and young people.

The department will set out our proposals for reform in a Schools white paper and we will consult widely on these proposals and continue to work with a wide range of partners to refine and deliver them.

Robust governance is crucial to achieving a strong school system, helping every child achieve and thrive. The department has produced dedicated governance guidance in addition to requirements in the Academy Trust Handbook. The Effective Governance Resources page on GOV.UK consolidates best practice to help boards govern strategically, flexibly and effectively. It was published in September 2025 here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/effective-governance-resources.

Where there are concerns about the governance of an academy trust, the department can set conditions to improve that the trust must meet to avoid further action. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education can terminate an academy’s funding agreement where there is a serious breakdown in governance.

This month we have announced that we are legislating to introduce inspection of multi-academy trusts. Reporting on the quality and effectiveness of trust governance will help drive better outcomes for children and provide greater confidence for parents.

The department attaches great importance to the handling of correspondence from parliamentarians and fellow citizens. Correspondence often raises complex and serious concerns, as it has in this instance, and as a department we aim to provide high quality, tailored responses to the points raised.

I can confirm that a response to the open letter from parents and carers of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities in Surrey, dated 17 July 2025, was sent on 18 November 2025.