To ask the Minister of Education how they will provide inclusive policies and practices for children and young people with disabilities in mainstream educational settings, as recommended in the Children’s Law Centre Report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

My department’s vision is that EVERY CHILD is happy, learning and succeeding and this is no different for those children and young people with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

In taking forward the End-to-End (E2E) Review of SEN, officials are considering the system from the legislative and policy intent, through to the statutory assessment process and beyond to workforce development and pupil support. This is to inform early actions for reform that can deliver a more effective, efficient and sustainable model of SEN support services that will improve outcomes for children and young people.

As advised in response to AQW 6270/22-27, the development of a roadmap for inclusion is now underway and a programme of engagement, with key educational stakeholders including political representatives, will take place over the coming months.

With this at the forefront of my ambition for children and young people with SEN and their families, I am committed to securing support from my Executive colleagues for any additional investment that is required to ensure that children with SEN get the right support, delivered by the right people, at the right time and in the right place.

I welcome the advocacy on behalf of children and young people with SEN provided by the Children’s Law Centre (CLC) on these issues. As key stakeholders, I am pleased that CLC representatives are actively engaged with my department’s E2E Review of SEN to inform and shape early opportunities for action that will support reform of the system.