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The New SEND reforms in the government’s Every Child Achieving and Thriving White Paper represent a major rethink of how special educational needs and disability (SEND) support works in England. But while ministers paint the reforms as fairer, more inclusive and evidence driven, many parents, teachers and SEND advocates are sceptical about whether the proposals will deliver in practice. Concerns range from weakened legal protections and unclear implementation detail to fears that schools won’t have the capacity to provide the new support envisioned. (GOV.UK)
The reforms are currently in public consultation, and the final shape of policy will be influenced by responses from families, educators and professionals. (GOV.UK)
What’s changing under the new SEND reforms
The New SEND reforms propose a reshaped SEND system designed to deliver support earlier and in more inclusive settings.
1. Statutory Individual Support Plans (ISPs)
A central pillar of the reforms is replacing the current broad SEN support record-keeping with Individual Support Plans (ISPs) for all children with identified needs. These plans are intended to:
- Provide a legal baseline of support in mainstream settings for every pupil with SEND.
- Create clearer expectations of what support children should receive locally.
- Be a statutory requirement for schools and colleges. (Fisher Jones Greenwood Solicitors)
Government messaging emphasises that this is a “radical expansion in rights” for children with SEND compared with current SEN support arrangements. (GOV.UK)
2. Tightened use of EHCPs for the most complex needs
Under the New SEND reforms, Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) will be retained but reserved for children with the most complex needs. This means:
- Many children who would have qualified for EHCPs under current criteria will instead receive ISPs.
- The proportion of pupils with EHCPs is projected to fall significantly over time. (The Guardian)
- Local authorities will be expected to reassess plans at key transition points, such as the move to secondary school. (The Guardian)
3. Three-tier support model
Support is structured through three tiers:
- Targeted support - adjustments and small group help recorded in an ISP.
- Targeted-Plus support - access to specialists through the “Experts at Hand” service and inclusion bases in mainstream schools.
- Specialist support - for the highest complexity needs, delivered with defined Specialist Provision Packages designed to reduce regional variation. (Fisher Jones Greenwood Solicitors)
4. Significant but time-limited funding injections
The White Paper includes multi-billion-pound commitments aimed at boosting inclusion and specialist support, including:
- Around £1.6 billion over three years for mainstream inclusion funding.
- About £1.8 billion for specialist support like therapists and educational psychologists via new regional services. (Schools Week)
Officials describe this as part of a long-term plan to transform SEND support and bring it into mainstream settings. (GOV.UK)
Why these reforms matter
The reforms are a response to long-standing challenges in the SEND system:
- Local authorities have faced a growing funding gap and rising SEND spending.
- The number of children with EHCPs has grown sharply, creating strain on councils and schools alike. (The Guardian)
- Many families struggle with lengthy waits for assessment and inconsistent provision across regions. (UK Parliament)
Government messaging highlights inclusion, earlier support, clearer expectations and less adversarial practice as goals of the reforms. (GOV.UK)
Criticisms from parents, advocates and educators
Although some welcome the ambition behind the New SEND reforms, others have raised substantial concerns.
Legal protections and accountability
A key criticism is that ISPs lack the enforceability and independent appeal rights of EHCPs. Critics argue that this weakens families’ ability to hold schools and local authorities to account if support is not delivered as agreed. (The Guardian)
Autism and SEND advocacy groups have pointed out that while inclusion bases and ISPs are positive in theory, the lack of detailed accountability mechanisms in the White Paper is worrying. (National Autistic Society)
Risk of reduced support for pupils with moderate needs
Parents are concerned that tightening EHCP criteria could mean children with significant but moderate needs end up with support plans that are harder to enforce, or that specialists are spread too thinly. (The Guardian)
Funding and delivery uncertainty
The reforms hinge on new funding streams, but critics note:
- Much of the funding is currently time-limited (e.g. three-year allocations). (Schools Week)
- The system’s long-term sustainability beyond these funds remains unclear. (Financial Times)
- Analysts predict that SEND costs will continue rising for years even after reform begins. (The Times)
Implementation and workforce capacity
Schools are being asked to take on greater responsibility for delivering inclusive support, yet:
- Teachers and school leaders remain stretched and overworked.
- There is limited detail on cross-sector training or workforce planning outside schools, including health and specialist professionals — leaving gaps in how it will work on the ground. (GOV.UK)
Mixed public reception
While some commentators see potential in the reforms for wider inclusion and fewer children needing out-of-area placements, others feel the proposals do not go far enough to protect children’s rights or ensure consistent support during the lengthy implementation period. (The Guardian)
What happens next
The New SEND reforms are currently in a 12-week public consultation, with responses feeding into final legislation expected in the next parliamentary session. (GOV.UK)
Final implementation is expected to be phased over several years, with the first transition points around 2030. (Fisher Jones Greenwood Solicitors)
Stakeholders - including families, schools, councils and SEND professionals - are encouraged to engage with the consultation to shape the final detail of this significant overhaul. (GOV.UK)
The New SEND reforms signal a major overhaul of how children with SEND are supported, with a focus on earlier, mainstream-based support through statutory Individual Support Plans. But questions remain around legal protections, accountability, funding sufficiency and implementation detail. The next few months of consultation and policy refinement will be crucial in determining whether these reforms improve outcomes for children with SEND or create new challenges in an already complex system.
