The Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has announced comprehensive reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities framework. The White Paper establishes a ten-year transition period targeting a system currently facing £6 billion funding deficit. Government spending on SEND support will increase under the new framework.
Phillipson stated that effective support structures will remain in place. No child currently receiving appropriate provision will experience removal of services during transition.
So what is in the White Paper?
Mandatory Reassessment Protocol at Secondary Transfer
Starting 2029, all children holding Education, Health and Care Plans undergo mandatory reassessment at primary-to-secondary school transition. This policy analysis UK experts view as the most significant structural change in special education provision.
The reassessment mechanism evaluates whether existing EHCP support levels remain necessary. Children demonstrating sufficient progress may transition to alternative support frameworks. The government positions this as efficiency improvement rather than service reduction.
Opposition MPs raised concerns regarding potential loss of statutory protections. Parent groups expressed uncertainty about reassessment criteria and appeal mechanisms.
Individual Support Plans Replace Current Access Pathway
The reforms introduce Individual Support Plans for all SEND children. ISPs carry legal underpinning similar to EHCPs but operate under different access protocols.
Current EHCP application requires extensive documentation and often involves tribunal processes. The new ISP framework provides faster support allocation without adversarial procedures. Government documents describe this as ending the “fight” families face accessing provision.
ISPs apply to broader student population than current EHCP coverage. Children with lower-level needs receive formalised support plans with legal status. This expands the number of students with statutory protection while reducing concentration on highest-tier EHCPs.
Central Government Assumes SEND Financial Responsibility
From 2028, central government absorbs SEND costs currently carried by local councils. This addresses the £6 billion funding gap that pushed numerous councils toward effective bankruptcy.
Local authorities reported SEND budgets consuming increasing proportions of total education spending. Some councils have claimed they are having to allocate over 50% of non-passported education budgets to SEND provision serving under 5% of the student population.
The financial transfer removes budget pressure from local government. Treasury assumes direct funding responsibility for statutory SEND support. This represents fundamental restructuring of education finance in government decisions UK policy.
Infrastructure Investment and Capacity Expansion
The Education Estates Strategy has promised up to £4 billion in new funding including £1.6bn over three years going directly to schools, early years settings and colleges and £1.8bn over the same period to provide more access to experts like specialist teachers and speech and language therapists.
However, Matt Wrack, general secretary of the union NASUWT, said: “£1.6bn over three years may sound like a lot of money, but it equates to just a few thousand pounds per setting.”
Attainment Gap Target and Performance Metrics
The White Paper commits to halving the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils. This metric includes but extends beyond SEND population.
Current data shows significant achievement differences between SEND and non-SEND cohorts. The government positions improved support structures as mechanism for closing this gap.
Performance measurement will track the progress of students with ISPs versus the current EHCP outcomes. Implementation monitoring begins in 2029 with full data collection by 2031.
Parent Perspectives on Reassessment Risk
Parent advocacy groups expressed concern regarding the reassessment protocol. Primary worry centres on children losing EHCP protection after demonstrating progress.
The current system allows EHCP retention regardless of improvement. Parents argue that this stability enables continued development. Reassessment introduces uncertainty about support continuity.
Some parents view mandatory review as government cost-cutting disguised as reform. Others support the principle if robust safeguards prevent inappropriate EHCP removal.
The government has not published detailed reassessment criteria. This lack of specificity increases parent anxiety about implementation.
Likely Timeline and Transition Phases
2026: White Paper publication and consultation period
2027: Legislative framework establishment
2028: Central government assumes SEND financial responsibility
2029: Mandatory reassessment protocol begins
2030-2036: Full system transition to ISP framework
The decade-long timeline acknowledges complexity of systemic change. Phased implementation allows adjustment based on early outcomes.
Pilot programmes begin in selected local authorities 2027. These trials test reassessment protocols and ISP processes before national rollout.
Legal Framework and Statutory Protection
ISPs will carry statutory weight under revised education legislation. Current Children and Families Act 2014 provisions governing EHCPs require amendment to accommodate dual-track system.
Legal experts note the importance of ISP enforcement mechanisms. Without tribunal access equivalent to current EHCP routes, families may face reduced recourse when schools fail to implement plans.
The government stated ISPs will have “legal underpinning” but has not specified whether this includes tribunal rights. This distinction affects the practical strength of the new framework.
System Crisis Indicators Driving Reform
Multiple factors demonstrate current system dysfunction. EHCP numbers increased 140% between 2015 and 2024. Tribunal applications rose 300% over the same period.
Council SEND budgets consistently overspent projections. Several local authorities issued Section 114 notices citing SEND costs as the primary factor.
Waiting times for initial EHCP assessments averaged 18 months in some areas despite 20-week statutory timeframe. System capacity has just not kept up with demand and without the significant investment announced this situation seems unlikely to change.
These crisis indicators, are what Phillipson says are informing her approach. Government documentation positions changes as necessary response to an unsustainable trajectory.
Responding to the Schools White Paper, Cllr Louise Gittins, Chair of the Local Government Association, said:
“For too long, the SEND system has been failing children, young people and their families. Substantial reform is desperately needed so that they get the support they need.
“We’re pleased the Government shares our aspiration that children with SEND who require support do so in a mainstream setting where appropriate; and that all children can reach their potential.
“Councils want every child to get the support they need without parents and carers necessarily having to apply for a statutory plan.
“For improved mainstream inclusion to be successful, all settings need to be empowered and resourced to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND, with a workforce that has the capacity and right skills.
“Councils have a key role to play and will need powers to lead local SEND systems and to hold health and education partners to account, to make sure they are meeting children’s needs.
“The LGA looks forward to studying, responding and working with government and partners on the White Paper to ensure it meets the needs of children and their families.”
Luke Sibieta, from the Institute for Fiscal Studies, described the new funding, as a “reasonably significant change”. He went to say the reform would be a “long and complicated process”, and that a new funding system would need to be developed “to ensure resources are targeted across schools to where they are needed”.
But the opposition MPs were more critical. Shadow education secretary Laura Trott said the government’s plan lacked clarity on where the new funding comes from. She told the BBC that families should be given “cast-iron guarantees” that no child with an EHCP will lose support. Adding, “This is not money you can find down the back of the sofa.”
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said any changes to SEND must include better early intervention and universal screening “so that each child has the best chance to succeed.
The SEND overhaul represents the most significant special education reform in UK politics since the 2014 Act. Whether it constitutes genuine system improvement or funding reduction remains contested and as with every reform the devil will be in the detail.
While the Government has framed the changes as emphasising increased spending, expanded access through ISPs, and removal of adversarial processes. Critics highlight reassessment risks, unspecified implementation details and a system where numbers continue to grow. In short, will these reforms fix a system that has been badly broken for many years, or merely apply a sticking plaster?