Ministers have outlined a three‑year SEND reform package for England to expand support in mainstream schools and standardise planning. The proposal combines funding routed directly to settings with investment in specialist services, alongside a training programme for the workforce and changes to how statutory support is reviewed.
According to the government, £1.6bn over three years will go to schools, early years providers and colleges to strengthen inclusive practice. A further £1.8bn over the same period is intended to increase access to expertise, including specialist teachers and speech and language therapists, so that reasonable adjustments and targeted interventions can be provided earlier and closer to home.
The reforms sit within a wider overhaul to be set out in full on Monday 23 February 2026 in a Schools White Paper. Officials have trailed a shift towards consistent national expectations and clearer pathways so families know what support should be available in mainstream settings before escalation to statutory plans.
Proposals reported ahead of publication include reassessing education, health and care plans (EHCPs) at key transition points-after primary school and again following GCSEs. The first cohort affected would be pupils in Year 6 in 2029, ahead of entry to secondary school in September 2030, with the stated goal of ensuring support is current and proportionate at moments of change.
The government also intends to introduce individual support plans (ISPs) for all pupils with SEND, with some legal status. At present, just over 480,000 of the 1.7 million pupils identified with SEND in England hold an EHCP; under the ISP model, the majority without EHCPs would have a formalised plan setting out provision and accountability in mainstream settings.
Workforce development is framed as pivotal. A £200m programme is planned to ensure every teacher receives training to support pupils with SEND, billed by ministers as the largest SEND training offer in England to date. School leaders have sought greater confidence and capability among classroom staff so that universal and targeted support are consistently delivered.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the changes aim to deliver tailored support built around individual need and available locally. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson characterised the package as a major step for opportunity, emphasising that effective support will not be withdrawn and that overall spending on SEND will rise rather than fall.
Sector responses point to questions on sufficiency and delivery. NASUWT argued that £1.6bn spread across three years amounts to relatively small allocations per setting and is unlikely on its own to deliver a full system reset. The National Association of Head Teachers welcomed the principle of investment in mainstream support while stressing that some pupils will continue to require specialist placements and must receive timely provision in the right setting.
Independent analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies described the reallocation within the Department for Education’s budget as a reasonably significant change but warned that reforming SEND finance and distribution will be complex. Ensuring resources reach the pupils and schools with the greatest need, while managing transition to avoid disruption to current support, is identified as a central risk.
Disability charities and parent groups broadly welcomed investment in mainstream inclusion but raised concerns about reassessing EHCPs at transition points. Campaigners caution that fewer pupils may retain EHCPs into secondary school, potentially unsettling families at moments when continuity matters; they call for strong legal guarantees, early identification and rapid access to services.
For providers and local authorities, the practical workload will concentrate on three areas: planning how new grants are deployed to evidence measurable inclusion gains; scheduling and resourcing transition‑point reviews; and preparing for any ISP framework. Guidance will be needed on how ISPs interact with existing duties under the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice so that statutory entitlements remain clear.
Alongside the SEND measures, ministers have set an ambition to halve the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers in England by the time children born in this Parliament complete secondary school. Whether the target is met will depend on funding design, workforce capacity and the clarity of legal frameworks as the White Paper moves from announcement to implementation.