‘Education for all’: SEND reform bill

The King’s Speech outlined reforms to the SEND system that will be legislated through the “Education for all” bill.

The schools white paper and a corresponding consultation, have already set out proposals to reform SEND, most of which are expected to be enacted from 2029.

The Department for Education confirmed that the new legislation will focus on providing early support, strong protections and new legal duties through the creation of individual support plans and national inclusion standards. It will also develop specialist provision packages and stronger oversight of independent special schools and manage a smooth transition to the new system.

If the bill’s title ‘Education for all’ feels familiar, it is because this is the second time in a decade that a bill has had this title’. In 2016, the Conservative bill of the same name requiring schools to academise, an aim that was then shelved.