From reactive to inclusive: what the Schools White Paper means for schools and SEND reform
On 23 February 2026, the government published its long-awaited Schools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving. It sets out a wide‑ranging programme of reform to the schools and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system in England. Alongside the White Paper, the Department for Education announced a £4 billion investment to embed specialist SEND support across schools and launched a consultation seeking feedback on the SEND reform proposals.
Policy context and objectives
The White Paper positions SEND reform as integral to broader education reform, with a stated aim of ensuring that all children and young people can “achieve and thrive” within a more inclusive, consistent and sustainable system. It is a response to systemic challenges within the current education landscape. The White Paper highlights concerns that children with additional needs aren't supported in time, excluded from mainstream settings, or caught in adversarial processes that undermines trust between families and public bodies.
The government sets out a clear policy direction: a shift from narrow, reactive intervention towards earlier, broader and more inclusive support rooted in mainstream education wherever possible. This direction reflects its wish to move from a system that sidelines children with SEND to one that actively includes them in their local schools and communities.
Specialist SEND support in mainstream settings
A central feature of the reform programme is the commitment to specialist SEND support being available in every school and community. The government has announced a £4 billion package designed to deliver this ambition and to end what it describes as a “one size fits all” approach to SEND provision.
The funding package is intended to enable schools to access specialist expertise, improve early identification of needs, and implement targeted interventions without delay. It wants support to be there when and where children need it, rather than only after formal processes have been exhausted.
- All teachers and support staff will be trained to meet the needs of children with SEND
- Funding will be used to deliver programmes like small group speech and language support
- Over time, every secondary school will have an inclusion base where they can deliver additional support and small group work; and
- More support will be provided, such as, educational psychologists for children with more severe behavioural and processing needs
The school estate will also be adapted so that more children with SEND can learn in a local mainstream setting in their community. This includes creating breakout rooms or sensory spaces where children can regulate their mood or behaviour, improving ventilation, or adding ramps and accessible changing facilities.
Stronger communication about children’s needs
The White Paper states that clear and consistent communication is essential to reforming the SEND system. It wants all schools and educational settings to create digital Individual Support Plans (ISPs) for any child or young person with identified SEND. The plans will capture:
- barriers which prevent the child from effective learning
- day-to-day-provisions in place to support them (and any reasonable adjustments); and
- the intended outcomes.
The plans will be developed with input from parents. It's hoped this will help parents and other professionals collaborate in the best interests of the child.
The ISPs will need to be reviewed at least once a year with involvement and discussions with parents. Over time, the plan is for ISPs to be integrated with wider services so that identifying and communicating any support required is simpler and more effective.
Introduction of Specialist Provision Packages
Eucation, health and care plans (EHCPs) for children with the most complex needs will be retained, but they will be underpinned by new packages of support known as Specialist Provision Packages. These “will be nationally defined, evidence-based packages of support for children and young people with the most complex needs, setting out the specific interventions, resources, and standards required to support them.” The government has said that these will offer a wider legal entitlement beyond the ISP to more intensive or complex support than schools can routinely provide.
Relationship with existing SEND frameworks
Any child who already has an EHCP when the new legislation takes effect will keep their plan and its provision until they finish their current phase of education or choose to move to the new system. Children with an EHCP in the early years will retain it until they complete the primary phase, when it will be reviewed.
The first cohort to transition to the new system will be pupils at the end of primary, secondary and post-16 in academic year 2029 to 2030, with assessment from September 2029 and moves to the new system from September 2030.
SEND consultation
The government is inviting input and feedback about its proposed changes to the SEND system. The consultation opened on 23 February 2026 and closes at 11:59pm on 18 May 2026. The consultation allows you to provide your views on the proposals and we would encourage you to engage with it to help shape the future of the SEND system.
What does it mean for the sector?
For schools and colleges, the reforms raise important questions about duties, expectations and accountability within the SEND system. While the White Paper does not itself change the law, it sets the direction for future reform and provides a clear framework against which future legal developments will be measured.
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