Support Available to Pupils who Stammer in Schools
Case reference FOI2026/01516
Received 1 July 2026
Published 8 July 2026
Request
I am writing on behalf of Action for Stammering Children, the UK charity for children who stammer and their families, as part of a research project exploring how state funded, mainstream primary schools in England are meeting the needs of children who stammer.
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would be grateful if you could provide responses to the attached questions regarding your local authority's role in commissioning and supporting primary-aged children who stammer attending state-funded, mainstream schools in your local authority.
We'd like to better understand the support available to pupils who stammer in schools in England.
I would be grateful if you would provide as much detail as possible to help us better support children who stammer. Should any of our questions be better directed elsewhere, I would be grateful if you could forward it to the relevant person.
We would appreciate a response within the statutory 20 working day timeframe.
1. Do you currently collect any data on the number of primary aged children who stammer within mainstream state funded primary schools in the authority area?
- Yes
- No
2. If yes, please provide the most recent number of mainstream state funded primary aged pupils identified as stammering or receiving support for stammering.
3a. How is speech and language therapy delivered in the local authority-maintained primary schools in your area? Please provide information about the speech and language therapy provision available in each local authority-maintained primary school. We specifically would like to understand whether the speech and language therapy service is delivered by the NHS, independent or other providers.
3b. What is the amount of speech and language therapy input each state funded primary school receives in hours per week?
4. Does the council currently fund any speech and language therapy services in maintained primary schools? If yes, please describe the commissioning arrangements
5. Do the state funded primary schools in your authority area have access to specialist support services outside the authority area for more complex cases of stammering?
6. Does the council issue any guidance regarding classroom adjustments or inclusive practice for pupils who stammer in state funded primary schools? If yes, please specify the guidance details (this may include encouraging classroom participation, assessment arrangements etc).
7. What assessment has the council made of any barriers to providing support for children who stammer within local authority maintained primary schools in your area?
8. Have state funded primary schools raised any concerns or requested additional support relating to children who stammer within the last three academic years? If yes, please provide a summary of the concerns raised.
9. Are there any planned developments, priorities or service improvements relating to support for children who stammer within state funded primary schools in your area?
Response
I am writing on behalf of Action for Stammering Children, the UK charity for children who stammer and their families, as part of a research project exploring how state funded, mainstream primary schools in England are meeting the needs of children who stammer.
Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, I would be grateful if you could provide responses to the attached questions regarding your local authority's role in commissioning and supporting primary-aged children who stammer attending state-funded, mainstream schools in your local authority.
We'd like to better understand the support available to pupils who stammer in schools in England.
I would be grateful if you would provide as much detail as possible to help us better support children who stammer. Should any of our questions be better directed elsewhere, I would be grateful if you could forward it to the relevant person.
We would appreciate a response within the statutory 20 working day timeframe.
1. Do you currently collect any data on the number of primary aged children who stammer within mainstream state funded primary schools in the authority area?
- Yes
- No
Answer: No.
2. If yes, please provide the most recent number of mainstream state funded primary aged pupils identified as stammering or receiving support for stammering.
Answer: N/A
3a. How is speech and language therapy delivered in the local authority-maintained primary schools in your area? Please provide information about the speech and language therapy provision available in each local authority-maintained primary school. We specifically would like to understand whether the speech and language therapy service is delivered by the NHS, independent or other providers.
Answer: The Service Area have advised the local authority is not the commissioner of these services. The Integrated Care Board (ICB) is and it is delivered by Wye Valley Trust (WVT). Some schools commission additional Speech and Language Therapy (SALT) from WVT, but others commission from independent providers.
Herefordshire Council commissions 2 days per week of SALT to be delivered at our resourced provision for children with speech language and communication needs.
3b. What is the amount of speech and language therapy input each state funded primary school receives in hours per week?
Answer: This information is not held by Herefordshire Council. This information is held by WVT.
4. Does the council currently fund any speech and language therapy services in maintained primary schools? If yes, please describe the commissioning arrangements
Answer: The Service Area have advised we commission provision for children with EHCPs. Where this is commissioned on top of the provision delivered by WVT, it is spot purchased.
5. Do the state funded primary schools in your authority area have access to specialist support services outside the authority area for more complex cases of stammering?
Answer: This information is not held by Herefordshire Council. This is a question for the ICB.
6. Does the council issue any guidance regarding classroom adjustments or inclusive practice for pupils who stammer in state funded primary schools? If yes, please specify the guidance details (this may include encouraging classroom participation, assessment arrangements etc).
Answer: This information is publically available on our council website and can be viewed via the following link:
As such we consider this information to be exempt under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 because it is reasonably accessible to you via other means. Please take this letter as a refusal notice under S17 of the Act.
7. What assessment has the council made of any barriers to providing support for children who stammer within local authority maintained primary schools in your area?
Answer: The Service Area have advised no assessment has been made.
8. Have state funded primary schools raised any concerns or requested additional support relating to children who stammer within the last three academic years? If yes, please provide a summary of the concerns raised.
Answer: The Service Area have advised no concerns have been raised, nor requests for additional support.
9. Are there any planned developments, priorities or service improvements relating to support for children who stammer within state funded primary schools in your area?
Answer: The Service Area have advised from September, in line with the DfE Experts at Hand, Herefordshire Council (with the ICB) is jointly commissioning an additional 6 FTE SALT to support mainstream schools meet a wider range of needs. However, the service specification has not been written yet.
Documents
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