Special educational needs

This page highlights some of the current parliamentary material available on special educational needs. This includes select committee reports, briefing papers on current legislation and other subjects produced by the parliamentary research services, and the latest Early Day Motions put down by MPs.

Standard Notes

Date	Description
12.09.2012	Draft legislation on provision for children and young people with special educational needs
	This Standard Note outlines the main provisions in the draft legislation relating to England, and provides background information.
19.07.2012	The green paper on special educational needs and disability
	This Standard Note briefly outlines of the current special educational needs (SEN) system in England, highlights the main proposals in the Government's green paper on special educational needs and disability, and notes the Government's plans to implement the changes..
02.07.2012	Constituency work: school-related matters
	The note provides brief background and key sources on a selection of issues that are typically raised with Members by constituents (including school organisation; school admissions; transport to school; school attendance and exclusion from school; and, special educational needs provision).The note gives a very brief overview of the structure of the state-maintained school system including an outline of the different categories of schools as often an answer to a school-related constituency question may depend upon the type of school in question.
25.11.2010	Special Educational Needs (SEN): the current system, recent reports and reviews
	The Coalition government has announced a review of special educational needs (SEN). This Standard Note gives a brief outline of the current SEN system and recent reports on SEN, and provides background on the Coalition government's review. The note relates to England only.
09.07.2010	Local education authority spending
	Local education authorities (LEAs) distribute or spend the large majority of resources for school education in England. Most of this is passed on to their maintained schools or paid in fees to other providers. They retain the remainder to spend on services at a school level and to carry out their statutory duties which include supporting pupils with special educational needs, home-to-school transport and Educational Psychology Services. The role of LEAs and the funds that they retain has been a subject of public and political interest for some time. The focus on their role has sharpened recently due to the growth in academies, which are independent of LEAs, and particularly the expansion in academies and so-called 'Free Schools' by the new Coalition Government.

Research Papers

Date	Description
15.02.2013	Children and Families Bill
	The Children and Families Bill introduces a wide range of legislation concerning adoption and children in care, aspects of family justice law, special educational needs, the Office of the Children's Commissioner for England, child care, statutory rights to leave and pay for parents and adopters, time off work for ante-natal care, and the right to request flexible working. This paper has been prepared for the Second Reading of the Bill.
14.07.2010	Academies Bill [HL] Bill 57 of 2010-11
	The Bill allows the governing body of each maintained school in England to apply to the Secretary of State to convert the school to an academy. The Secretary of State will also be empowered to convert schools that are 'eligible for intervention'. The Bill also makes provision for 'free schools' - new schools set up by parents, teachers, charities, universities, business or community or faith groups where there is parental demand. Free schools will have the same legal requirements as academies. During the Bill's passage through the House of Lords, a number of Government amendments were made, including those on special educational needs provision in academies, consultation during the conversion process and applying Freedom of Information legislation to academies. Many non-Government amendments were proposed, of which two were successful. One of these required the Secretary of State to publish an annual report on academies, which the Government welcomed; the other related to services for children with low incidence special educational needs, which the Government opposed.
15.02.2010	Children, Schools and Families Bill: Committee Stage Report Bill No 8 of 2009-10
	This is an account of the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Children, Schools and Families Bill. The Bill contained a clause on the charitable status of academies, but the Government decided it could achieve its objectives by non-legislative means, and at the end of the Committee Stage the clause was removed. No other changes were made to the Bill in Committee. There were many amendments proposed by the opposition parties but none was successful.
16.12.2009	Children, Schools and Families Bill. Bill 8 2009-10.
	This Bill provides 'guarantees' for pupils and parents in the school system, underpinned by new Home School Agreements, and makes provision for parental satisfaction surveys. It also makes changes to the powers of governing bodies of maintained schools; extends the remit of School Improvement Partners; provides greater powers for local authorities and the Secretary of State in relation to failing schools; paves the way for the introduction of School Report Cards; and makes provision to introduce a licence to practise for teachers. The Bill also seeks to implement the recommendations of several major reports. These changes affect the school curriculum; provide a registration system for home educators; and provide an additional right of appeal for parents of children with special educational needs. The Bill would also make changes to the reporting of information relating to family proceedings. Other provisions relate to Local Safeguarding Children Boards, Youth Offending Teams, the charitable status of academies, and the fees system for the inspection of independent schools.
10.06.2009	Autism Bill: Committee Stage Report (Bill 98 2008-09)
	This is a report of the House of Commons Committee Stage of the Autism Bill. It complements Research Paper 09/17 prepared for the Commons Second Reading debate.

Early Day Motions

Date	Description
25.10.2011	ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING
	That this House congratulates Deaf Action on its launch of SignVideo, an online interpreting service available throughout the UK; is concerned that there is a shortage of British Sign ...
01.03.2011	HELLO CAMPAIGN FOR THE NATIONAL YEAR OF COMMUNICATION
	That this House welcomes the Hello Campaign for the National Year of Communication; notes that the campaign, run by The Communication Trust, a coalition of over 35 leading voluntary ...
01.11.2010	CLASSIFICATION OF LIP-READING CLASSES
	That this House notes that lip-reading is a vital communication skill for many people with hearing loss, which prevents social isolation, increases confidence and independence and helps ...
12.07.2010	SPECIAL SCHOOL PROVISION IN COVENTRY
	That this House condemns the effect that the abolition of the Building Schools for the Future programme will have on the Alice Stevens, Sherbourne Fields and Baginton Fields Special ...
01.07.2010	AWARD OF HEALTHY SCHOOLS FLAGSHIP STATUS TO BLEASDALE HOUSE (SPECIAL) SCHOOL
	That this House recognises the important work of Bleasdale House School, a Special School looking after children from across Lancashire with profound learning difficulties; notes that ...

POST Papers

Date	Description
01.10.2009	Teaching children to read
	This POSTnote explains the reading process and the underlying basis of specific reading difficulties. It also summarises different methods of reading instruction, and examines their use in the context of current and possible future policy directions.
01.02.2008	Autism, February 2008
	Autism, February 2008. POSTnote 08/302.