HC Deb 07 September 2004 vol 424 c992W
Mr. Jim Cunningham

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Coventry, South students in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools suffer from learning (i) difficulties and (ii) disabilities. [187299]

Margaret Hodge

Learning difficulties and learning disabiliti#s are covered within the definition set out in section 312 of the Education Act 1996 which states that children have special educational needs if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them.

Children have a learning difficulty if they: (a) have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of children of the same age (b) have a disability which prevents and hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for children of the same age in schools within the area of the local authority.

The table shows numbers of pupils with SEN in Coventry, South.

Maintained primary and secondary schools1: number of pupils

with special education needs (SEN)—January 2004 (provisional)

Coventry, South parliamentary

constituency2

Maintained

primary

Maintained

secondary

Total pupils 7,780 7,410
Pupils with statements of SEN 80 150
Percentage 1.0 2.0
Pupils with SEN but without statements3 1,340 1,270
Percentage 17.3 17.1
1Includes middle schools as deemed.
2Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
3Includes children at "School Action" and "School Action Plus" as described in the SEN Code of Practice.