SEND reforms 2026: What’s changing?

The government has announced significant reforms to the education system for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England. This announcement marks the beginning of a decade that will shape the future of SEND education and care across the country.

As part of these reforms, an additional £4 billion in funding has been committed, supporting plans outlined in the white paper, Every child achieving and thriving, “a blueprint for opportunity for all children, including generational reforms to the SEND system”. Alongside the white paper, the government has launched a consultation titled SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First, which invites feedback on proposals to improve help and support for children and young people with SEND, spanning the entire 0 to 25 age range.

The white paper highlights a growing trend, noting that more children are now educated in specialist settings than at any point in the last fifty years. It also observes an increase in children moving into unregistered alternative provision or home education, often due to unmet SEND needs. The level of support a child receives frequently depends on how hard their families advocate or the extent of their financial resources.

To address these inequalities, the government plans to introduce national price bands, eliminating the postcode lottery faced by families seeking SEND support. This initiative will help standardise fees for identical provisions and establish statutory SEND-specific standards, ensuring that independent schools deliver clear and consistent outcomes for their pupils. Enhanced cost transparency will allow for greater visibility into the allocation of public funds, and local authorities will be formally involved in decisions regarding the creation or expansion of independent sector provision.

Key SEND reforms

We set out some of the key changes outlined in the government’s SEND consultation.

• EHCPs will be retained for children with the most complex needs, underpinned by new evidence-based Specialist Provision Packages, with the transition to the new system from 2030.
• Reviews at transition points – end of primary, secondary and post-16 – will determine whether children and young people move to a new specialist EHCP or an Individual Support Plan (ISP). These new needs assessments will begin from September 2029.
• For children and young people with an existing EHCP, transition to the new system will begin from 2030. 
• Every child receiving targeted or specialist support will have a digital ISP.
• If families want a mainstream setting for their child, their preference will be upheld.
• Children under five with complex needs will have a fast-track route to support.
• Mediation will be used more, to resolve disputes with local authorities more quickly, with the SEND Tribunal as a backstop. But families will retain the right to appeal to the Tribunal.
• Ofsted and CQC Area SEND inspection frameworks will be updated to align with the clarified statutory roles that local authorities and ICBs will have in relation to children and young people with SEND.
• Ofsted and CQC will continue to inspect the role of education, health and social care partners responsible for the planning, commissioning and delivery of arrangements for children and young people with SEND in the local area.
• The Children’s Commissioner will oversee the transition and implementation.

SEND reform consultation

The Department for Education is consulting on proposals to reform the SEND system and is keen to hear from everyone who has an interest in the reforms. You can respond to the consultation by 18 May 2026.

Commenting on the announcement, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

“These reforms are a watershed moment for a generation of young people and generations to come, and a major milestone in this government’s mission to make sure opportunity is for each and every child.”

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