What Happened
The UK government has announced significant reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system, as outlined in the recently released Schools White Paper titled Every Child Achieving and Thriving. The Department for Education (DfE) expects to transition one in eight pupils from Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) to new Individual Support Plans (ISPs) by 2035. This change aims to provide tailored support for children with less complex needs.
Why It Matters
The proposed reforms are designed to create a more inclusive educational environment, ensuring that children with additional needs receive timely and appropriate support. The government plans to implement a tiered framework of support, categorizing children into targeted and specialist levels. The introduction of ISPs is intended to replace the current SEN Support system for children without EHCPs, making the support legally binding and more consistent across schools.
What’s Next
As part of the reforms, the government will review existing EHCPs after September 2029, with the aim of issuing these plans only after a package of support has been established for each pupil. The reforms also include a £4 billion investment to enhance inclusivity in schools, with a specific focus on early intervention and support. Parents and educators are encouraged to engage with the ongoing consultation process to better understand the implications of these changes.
