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Shake-up of support for children with special needs and disabilities unveiled
The reforms introduce legally backed Individual Support Plans and reduce Education, Health and Care Plans to complex cases, with a £4 billion investment to enhance inclusivity and workforce capacity.
- The Schools White Paper announced on Monday sets out reforms to SEND supported by 4 billion to make mainstream schools more inclusive, according to the UK Government.
- Rising demand for EHCPs—from 240k to 640k and 638,745 issued by January 2025—has strained local authorities, with the government saying the current system 'doesn't work'.
- Under the proposals, individual support plans will be statutory with assessments starting in September 2029 and no support changes before at least September 2030.
- The government will also write off 90% of councils' high-needs deficits and manage Send costs from 2028, with assessments starting in September 2029, after a 12-week consultation.
- Longer-Term, the reforms mean only children with the most complex needs will qualify for EHCPs, with one in eight children moving to new plans between 2030 and 2035, raising funding and protection concerns.
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27 Articles
Will the latest reforms to England’s schools and special educational needs support deliver? Experts react
Rawpixel.com/ShutterstockThe government has published its proposals for education reform in England, which have been delayed since autumn 2025 and include significant changes to how the special educational needs and disabilities (Send) system operates. Further measures are aimed at improving teacher recruitment, student achievement and belonging at school. Our panel of education experts are scrutinising the plans, which have been anxiously antic…
Government overhauls special education with £4bn plan
The number of children with special educational needs is rising rapidly in England, and the government says SEND, the system to help them, is broken and unable to cope. On Monday, it announced plans to fix it by making mainstream schools more inclusive. They will be legally required to create individual support plans for all children with additional needs. And by 2035, education, health and care plans will be reserved for children with the most …
Shake-up of support for children with special needs and disabilities unveiled
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said pupils with the most complex needs would keep their support plans as part of the reforms, which are set to come into force from the end of this decade.
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