PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Autism: Special Educational Needs (30 November 2021)

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent steps he has taken with the Minister for Women and Equalities to ensure that autistic children are receiving appropriate educational support in (a) Enfield North and (b) the London Borough of Enfield.

Asked by:
Feryal Clark (Labour)

The department wants every autistic young person to reach their potential and feel heard at every stage of their life, no matter where they live. That is why, in its first year alone, the department is investing £74 million into our cross-government National Autism Strategy to promote a straightforward route to diagnosis, the correct support, increasing understanding and improving access to a quality education and social care.

In total, £600,000 of this funding has gone towards the department’s contract with the Autism Education Trust (AET) for the 2021/22 academic year. The department has funded the AET since 2011 to deliver autism awareness training to education staff in early years, schools, and further education settings. As the funding is to provide national coverage across the country, rather than specific allocations to regions or local authorities, the department does not have the exact figure for Enfield. However, it has so far reached more than 305,000 people across the country. As well as teachers and teaching assistants, this includes support staff such as receptionists, dining hall staff and caretakers, encouraging a 'whole school' approach to supporting autistic pupils.

In addition to our existing commitments, the department is determined to ensure that the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system works more effectively for those children who need extra support, including autistic children. That is why the department is completing the SEND Review, to improve outcomes and build a sustainable SEND system, where there is clear accountability.

Answered by:
Will Quince (Conservative)
8 December 2021