It is important that young people with disabilities can access the services they need for a good education. The system for identifying and meeting the needs of all children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is designed to deliver the right support where it is needed. 
 
To be awarded teacher status, all trainees must satisfy the teachers' standards, which include a requirement that they have a clear understanding of the needs of SEND pupils and are able to support them. I know that £900,000 of funding has been awarded to the National Sensory Impairment Partnership (NatSIP) between 2016 and 2018 to equip the school workforce to deliver high quality teaching and support for pupils with sensory impairments.
 
It is important to note that the Consortium for Research into Deaf Education's research is based on annual surveys of local authority specialist educational services and does not include teachers of the deaf in special schools. I would like to reassure you that the Department for Education is working closely with the National Deaf Children's Society to better understand the issues around recruiting Teachers of the Deaf.
 
In addition to teacher provision, I am encouraged that the Department for Education is taking wider action, investing more than £25 million in projects to help children with SEND access excellent support. This builds on work with charities, as part of the NatSIP, to produce a wide range of support to early years, schools, post-16 providers and local authorities to support children and young people with sensory impairment.