SEND system reform

The Department for Education has now published its White Paper titled Every Child Achieving and Thriving, to set out the government’s long term ambitions to improve outcomes for all children, along with plans to reform the special educational needs and disabilities system. Many changes and targets will roll out in stages following consultation with the sector.

SEND headlines:

• All schools to receive additional funds to support targeted and small group interventions for children with additional needs in addition to existing core SEND funding
• Schools will be able draw on a multi-agency support offer overseen by local authorities, bringing together specialists from speech and language, educational psychology and occupational health
• An evidence-based digital library of resources to guide schools on meeting the needs of children by 2028
• Schools will be required to publish an inclusion strategy to explain how resources are deployed to benefit children with SEND to replace the current SEN Information Reports
• Education, health and care plans (EHCPs) likely to be reserved for only the most complex cases
• Individual Support Plans (ISPs) for all children with additional needs developed by schools and created in collaboration with parents.

All existing duties and rights of pupils with SEND will remain in place until new legislation begins. Full details on the proposed changes to the SEND system can be found in the government’s open consultation: SEND reform: putting children and young people first.