What Is This About?
The Government has published a major plan to reform the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system in England. This document is a consultation — which means they want to hear from families, professionals, and young people about whether the proposals are right. This summary explains what they're proposing in plain, accessible language.
The honest starting point is one many parents will recognise: the Government acknowledges that the current SEND system has been failing children and families for far too long. Too many children aren't getting the support they need. Too many parents feel they have to fight at every turn. That is what these reforms aim to change.
Good news for families: This is a genuine attempt to listen. The proposals were shaped by thousands of conversations with parents, children, teachers and health professionals and many of the changes directly reflect what families have been asking for.
The Government's Vision
The Government wants to build a system where:
Every child with SEND can learn in their local school, alongside their friends and neighbours.
Support arrives early without long waits or complex paperwork battles.
Schools, health services and care services work together, rather than in silos.
Children with the most complex needs still receive specialist, high-quality support including in special schools.
Parents are treated as partners and experts on their own children, not obstacles to manage.
Their guiding principle is that inclusion and high standards should go hand in hand, not be seen as opposites.
Why Does the System Need to Change?
The Government is frank about the problems families are experiencing right now:
1 in 3 children has a special educational need at some point in their schooling — yet too many don't get timely help.
The number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) has doubled since 2014, often because families felt it was the only way to access any support at all.
Over a quarter of parents of children with SEND have had to reduce their working hours because of the demands of navigating the system.
Children with SEND are disproportionately likely to be suspended, excluded, or persistently absent.
Children with SEND who were educated in inclusive mainstream schools are twice as likely to find employment and live independently compared to those with similar needs in separate settings...yet the trend has been moving in the wrong direction, with more children educated apart from their peers than at any time in 50 years.
High needs spending has risen by 87% over six years, yet outcomes for children haven't meaningfully improved. The Government is clear: this cannot continue.
The Five Core Principles
Everything in the reform plan is guided by five principles:
Children should get support as soon as it's needed, without waiting for a formal diagnosis. Early
Children should be able to learn near home, with their peers. Local
Every school should be equipped to meet common needs, without parents having to fight for help. Fair
All support should be evidence-based — proven to work. Effective
Education, health, care and families should work in genuine partnership. Shared
What Will Change? The Key Proposals
Better Support in Every School — The 'Universal Offer'
A new 'Universal Offer' will set a clear baseline of support that every mainstream school, college and early years setting must provide. This means:
All staff will receive national SEND training, backed by over £200 million of investment over three years.
Schools will be required by law to publish an 'Inclusion Strategy' ... a public document explaining exactly how they will support children with SEND.
New 'National Inclusion Standards' will, for the first time, set out what good inclusive practice looks like in every setting.
Ofsted inspections will assess how inclusive a school is so there's real accountability.
What this means for your family: Your child's school will be expected to meet a much higher bar for inclusive support and if they don't, there will be clearer ways to hold them to account.
Faster, Easier Support — Targeted and Targeted Plus
Right now, many children have to go through an EHCP process just to access extra support. Under the new system, there will be two new 'layers' of support called Targeted and Targeted Plus — which children can access without needing an EHCP at all:
Targeted support might include small group sessions, curriculum adaptations, or extra time.
Targeted Plus brings in specialist professionals like speech and language therapists or educational psychologists directly into the school.
Crucially, entitlement to this support will be written into law. It won't just be a promise, it will be a legal right.
Every child receiving Targeted or Targeted Plus support will get a digital 'Individual Support Plan' (ISP)... a clear record of their needs and what help is in place. Parents will be involved in creating it, and it will update as the child's needs change.
What this means for your family: Your child could get meaningful support much sooner, without the lengthy assessment battles that many families currently face. The ISP means you'll have a clear written record of what has been agreed.
'Experts at Hand' — Health Professionals in Schools
One of the biggest frustrations for families is that health support — speech therapy, occupational therapy, mental health services — is hard to access and often involves very long waits. The Government is investing £1.8 billion over three years in a new 'Experts at Hand' programme to bring these professionals directly into schools and early years settings.
Educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, and occupational therapists will work alongside school staff.
Over 200 additional educational psychologists will be trained each year from 2026.
Mental health support teams will roll out to all schools and colleges by 2030, reaching 6 in 10 settings this year.
What this means for your family: You should no longer need to wait years for a referral via your GP. Therapists and experts will be embedded in your child's school, making joined-up support much more achievable.
Better Support for Children with Complex Needs — 'Specialist Provision Packages'
For children with the most complex needs, EHCPs will continue to play a vital role. But the Government wants to improve them significantly:
New 'Specialist Provision Packages' will be developed by independent expert panels. These will be nationally defined, evidence-based descriptions of exactly what support a child with complex needs should receive.
EHCPs will be based on these Packages making them more consistent and meaningful.
Children under 5 with complex needs will have a fast-track route to an EHCP.
Multidisciplinary teams (education, health and care working together) will produce joined-up plans more quickly.
If you want a mainstream school placement for your child, that preference will be legally upheld.
No child will be asked to leave a special school.
What this means for your family: EHCPs are not being abolished, they are being improved. Children who need specialist support will still get it, and the process for getting it should become clearer and faster.
Best Start Family Hubs — Early Support from Birth
Support will start even earlier, through Best Start Family Hubs ( local centres where families can access help from pregnancy onwards). The Government is investing over £200 million to strengthen the SEND offer in these Hubs:
• Every Hub will have a named professional leading the SEND offer.
• Families won't need a diagnosis to access early support.
• Early years settings will benefit from increased funding and training to identify and support children's needs from the very start.
What this means for your family: If you have concerns about your young child, there will be a local place to go for advice and support without needing to navigate complex referral processes first.
Putting Families at the Centre
The Government has heard clearly that parents don't feel listened to. The reforms include specific commitments to change this:
Individual Support Plans will be co-designed with families.
Parent Carer Forums will be strengthened with consistent standards, training and sustainable funding.
Minimum expectations will be set for home-to-school partnerships — so schools know what communication and involvement looks like.
The Children's Commissioner will have a new role to independently oversee and scrutinise SEND reform, with a particular focus on the most vulnerable groups.
What this means for your family: Your voice and expertise as a parent should be genuinely respected, not just acknowledged on paper. There will be clearer routes to being heard and to having your concerns taken seriously.
How Much Is Being Invested?
The Government is committing significant funding to make these reforms a reality:
£7 billion more spent on SEND support compared to 2025-26 over this Parliament.
£3.5 billion increase in DfE budgets by 2028-29 above previously planned spending.
£1.6 billion Inclusive Mainstream Fund over three years for schools, colleges and early years settings.
£1.8 billion over three years for the Experts at Hand programme.
£3.7 billion from now to 2030 for new Inclusion Bases, accessible buildings and special school places.
£200 million+ over three years for national SEND workforce training.
£700 million already committed for Best Start Family Hubs.
This is a significant commitment. The Government has emphasised that investment will begin now ( before any new legislation) to build the foundations for the reformed system.
What About the Transition? Will My Child's EHCP Be Affected?
Understandably, many families will be asking: what happens to the support my child has now? The Government has been clear about this:
All existing EHCPs remain in place and fully protected until at least September 2030.
No changes to any child's EHCP will happen before September 2030 at the earliest.
New assessments for the reformed system will begin in September 2029, at natural transition points (end of primary, secondary, or post-16).
No child will be asked to leave a special school.
Children who move to the new system will be assessed against the new Specialist Provision Packages. If they need that level of support, they will continue to receive an EHCP.
Children who don't need the specialist level will receive a digital Individual Support Plan and have access to the new Targeted and Targeted Plus support layers.
Key reassurance: This is a gradual, staged transition. The Government has committed to managing it carefully. Your child's current provision is protected in the meantime.
Key New Terms: A Quick Reference
The consultation introduces some new language. Here's a simple guide:
A digital record of a child's needs and the support in place. Updated as the child changes. Replaces ad hoc paperwork. Individual Support Plan (ISP)
The new umbrella term for additional support units within mainstream schools (replacing terms like 'SEN unit' or 'resourced provision'). Inclusion Bases
New, legally-backed layer of additional help in mainstream settings, without needing an EHCP. Targeted Support
More intensive support, bringing in health and specialist professionals. Targeted Plus
Nationally defined, evidence-based descriptions of what support children with complex needs should receive. Will underpin future EHCPs. Specialist Provision Package
A programme embedding health professionals (therapists, psychologists) into schools. Experts at Hand
The baseline of inclusive support every mainstream setting must provide. Universal Offer
New national standards defining what good inclusion looks like in practice. National Inclusion Standards
How Can I Have My Say?
This is a consultation which means the Government genuinely wants to hear from you. They are asking questions throughout the document, and you can share your views on all of them. Some of the key questions include:
How can children, young people and families have a genuine say in decisions about SEND?
What should be in the new National Inclusion Standards?
How should the new layers of Targeted and Targeted Plus support be designed?
How should EHCPs be improved?
The consultation is open to everyone... families, young people, professionals and organisations. You can respond via the Government's consultation platform at gov.uk. The next phase of the National Conversation will also include regional events.
Your voice matters: The Government says that these proposals were shaped by listening. Now is your chance to tell them whether they've got it right — or what still needs to change.
A Final Word
It's worth saying clearly... this is a consultation on proposed reforms, not a done deal. The Government is asking for your views before finalising legislation. Many parents and organisations will have strong opinions ( both supportive and critical) and all of those responses will help shape the final outcome.
What is encouraging is that the Government has been honest about the scale of the problems families face, and has made significant funding commitments to back up the proposals. The direction of travel...more support, earlier, closer to home, with families genuinely involved...is one that many families will warmly welcome.
The challenge will be whether the proposals deliver in practice. That's why your voice in this consultation really matters.