SEND reforms in schools: key changes in the government’s Schools White Paper

On 23 February 2026, the UK Government published its long-awaited Schools White Paper, 'Every Child Achieving and Thriving', setting out its long-term vision for education in England. One of its most significant strands is special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform in schools, with proposals intended to reshape how support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities is delivered. For schools, including independent schools supporting pupils with additional needs or working with local authorities, the White Paper gives an early indication of the changes likely to affect SEND provision, planning and day-to-day responsibilities.

The government has been clear that the current SEND system is under significant pressure. Demand for support has increased steadily in recent years, local authority budgets have been stretched, and many families report difficulties navigating what can be a complex and inconsistent system. Against this backdrop, the White Paper is intended to signal a substantial shift in how SEND provision is expected to operate in England. For schools, including many independent schools that support pupils with additional needs or work closely with local authorities, the proposals offer an important indication of the direction of travel in SEND policy.

What are the key SEND changes for schools?

1. A new vision for SEND Support

At the centre of the reforms is the government’s ambition to create a system where most children with additional needs can be supported effectively in mainstream settings, with statutory processes reserved for the most complex cases. The White Paper sets out a universal expectation of high‑quality, inclusive teaching and commits to providing schools with clearer national guidance on what strong SEND practice should look like.

Support beyond the universal offer will be delivered through additional layers:

• Targeted support: which may involve pupils receiving additional support such as the provision of coloured paper or laptops for children with dyslexia.
• Targeted Plus support: where a child might have access to a speech and language therapists and/or educational psychologists, or a dedicated SEND space.
• Specialist support: for children with the most complex needs.

When a child receives 'Specialist' support, they will be given a 'Specialist Provision Package', which will be created by education, health and care experts and will set out what they need. Only children with a 'Specialist Provision Package' are intended to qualify for new education, health and care plans (EHCP). The Department for Education says EHCPs will be 'based on' those packages and will give children a legal right to the support they set out.

Every pupil receiving Targeted or Specialist support will have an Individual Support Plan (ISP), developed with parents and setting out their day-to-day provision (more on which below).

Although the White Paper promises access to specialists such as speech and language therapists or educational psychologists without requiring an EHCP, it does not guarantee that the level of specialist input will meet all needs, meaning schools will still face the challenge of balancing support with capacity and funding constraints.

2. The future role of EHCPs

EHCPs will be limited to only the most complex needs by 2035, with children already holding EHCPs retaining them until they finish their current education phase. From September 2029, pupils will be reassessed at key transition points to determine eligibility for Specialist Provision Packages.

While the government anticipates that demand for EHCPs will eventually stabilise, the transitional period will likely increase administrative burdens for schools as they implement new processes, reassess existing cases, and ensure compliance with evolving requirements.

3. Individual support plans for all pupils with SEND

From September 2029, every child with SEND will be entitled to an ISP, regardless of whether they have an EHCP. These digital plans are intended to be flexible, setting out what support a child should receive day-to-day. These will be put together in consultation with parents and reviewed at least annually.

ISPs will formalise expectations, but it is expected that they will place significant responsibility on schools to gather information, coordinate input from families and specialists, and document interventions. They will also heighten the administrative and professional load for school staff, particularly SEND coordinators, as schools navigate what is reasonable support versus what exceeds their resources or legal obligations.

4. Raising standards through national frameworks

National Inclusion Standards, to be introduced by 2028, will define high-quality SEND practice, supported by guidance and digital tools. Schools will be required to publish an Inclusion Strategy and will be inspected on its implementation.

Although the aim is to improve consistency, it may also expose schools to criticism if resources, staffing, or specialist access are insufficient to meet the new standards, placing further pressure on budgets and leadership teams.

5. Accountability and oversight

The White Paper gives the Children’s Commissioner an expanded oversight role, including monitoring the rollout of SEND reforms and reporting publicly on their impact, with particular attention to children who are out of school, in care or otherwise vulnerable, with the intention on ensuring consistency across the country.

At the same time, the government plans to strengthen the regulatory framework for independent special schools, giving local authorities greater control over placement costs, aligning duties across different types of specialist provision and allowing the Secretary of State to prevent expansions where local demand is limited.

When will the SEND reforms take effect?

At this stage, it is important to recognise that the White Paper itself does not immediately change the legal framework governing SEND provision. Instead, it sets out the government’s intended policy direction and signals areas where more detailed reforms are likely to follow.

Many of the proposals will require consultation and further policy development before they are implemented. In some cases, legislative change may also be required before reforms can be introduced.

The policy work will be led by the Department for Education, and schools are likely to see additional consultations, guidance and regulatory developments emerging over the coming years.

The government currently plans to introduce the reforms in three overlapping phases:

• Phase 1: 2025/26 to 2026/27 – aligning to best practice

During this period, schools will begin moving towards best practice across behaviour, attendance and family engagement and updated guidance will be published. This phase is intended to lay the groundwork for SEND reform, ahead of the statutory changes.

• Phase 2: 2026/27 to 2027/28 – preparing for major SEND and curriculum reforms

New support has been promised to help schools prepare for the SEND reforms. This includes investment in staff training and early rollout of the National Inclusion Standards, due for full introduction in 2028. Preparatory work also begins for the three‑layer SEND support structure (Universal, Targeted/Targeted Plus and Specialist), Individual Support Plans, Specialist Provision Packages and the updated SEND Code of Practice.

• Phase 3: From 2028/29 – full implementation

By Autumn 2028, schools are expected to be aligned with best practice and prepared for the reformed SEND system. The National Inclusion Standards will be in place by 2028. Individual Support Plans will become a statutory requirement from September 2029, when EHCP reassessments also begin as pupils move between phases. From this point, Specialist Provision Packages will underpin the new EHCP model, with the wider EHCP reforms completing by 2035.

What do the SEND reforms mean for schools?

The White Paper appears to place significantly more responsibility on schools for SEND provision, with several practical implications:

• Reduced direct funding for specialist provision: schools will need to manage more needs in-house, using available resources to deliver Targeted, Targeted Plus and Specialist support and ISPs.
• Greater administrative and planning burden: ISPs, assessments, and updated Inclusion Strategies will require detailed record-keeping, collaboration with families, and ongoing updates.
• Information sharing requirements: all relevant documents must capture SEND needs, increasing the documentation and record-keeping responsibility on schools.
• Balancing legal obligations: schools are required to provide 'reasonable adjustments' for pupils who meet the legal definition of ‘disabled’ under the Equality Act 2010 (although it is important to note that not all pupils with an EHCP will necessarily fall under this definition). However, schools are not obliged to meet every need, particularly when requests are disproportionate, unreasonable, or exceed the resources that can reasonably be made available. More consideration will be required from schools when assessing and determining which adjustments are/are not reasonable to provide and why.
• Early intervention and planning: independent schools in particular must assess prospective pupils’ needs before admission to consider and anticipate required support and whether a prospective pupil's needs can be reasonably accommodated in their setting.
• Professional development: staff training in SEND and record-keeping will become essential to reduce legal risk and challenge.

Overall, while the White Paper aims to create a more structured and inclusive system, schools will need to adapt to new responsibilities around funding, staffing, and SEND provision. This will require careful planning and early preparation to meet statutory and legal obligations.

We will continue to publish articles assessing the impact of the SEND reforms on schools and the wider education sector.

With many thanks to Jessica Harker, a current trainee in the Employment team, for her help in preparing this article.