# What does the 2026 SEND reform white paper mean for schools, and what has actually changed?

Source page: https://pupilprotect.co.uk/guides/send-reform-2026  
Last updated: 2026-10-20  
Publisher: Pupil Protect (Glacier Labs Ltd)

> The Schools White Paper, Every child achieving and thriving, and the SEND consultation published with it on 23 February 2026 propose Individual Support Plans for every child with SEND and keeping EHCPs for children with the most complex needs, but they are only proposals: the consultation closed on 18 May 2026 and the government response hadn't been published by 20 October 2026. The Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice still apply in full, and new legislation is expected to take effect from September 2029 at the earliest.

## Proposed, happening now, or law?

Most coverage mixes three different things. It helps to keep them apart.

1. **The law today.** Part 3 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and the SEND Code of Practice 2015 still apply in full: SEN support, the graduated approach, EHC needs assessments, EHCPs and the right to appeal to the Tribunal.
2. **Proposals.** The Schools White Paper and the SEND consultation, published on 23 February 2026, set out a new system. None of it is law. Most of it needs new legislation, which hasn't been introduced.
3. **Changes already happening.** Funding, training and new services are being rolled out before legislation. They don't change anyone's legal rights.

The consultation itself says: "Until new legislation comes into force, the current system will remain in place, including all existing duties, rights, and funding routes."

## What's proposed

The white paper, Every child achieving and thriving, and the consultation, SEND reform: putting children and young people first, propose:

- **Three layers of support** above what every child gets: *Targeted* (small-group interventions delivered by school staff), *Targeted Plus* (expert help in school through a new Experts at Hand service) and *Specialist* (nationally defined Specialist Provision Packages).
- **Individual Support Plans (ISPs)** for every child with SEND: a digital record of their needs and the support the school provides, developed with parents.
- **EHCPs kept for the most complex needs.** The provision in a Specialist Provision Package would underpin the entitlements in an EHCP.
- **National Inclusion Standards** setting out evidence-informed approaches for identifying and meeting needs.
- **An Inclusion Base in every secondary school**, either a Specialist Base offering Specialist Provision Packages or a Support Base.
- **Local groups of schools** pooling funding and resources.
- **More funding in school budgets**, rebalanced from the high needs block after legislation, starting in the 2029/30 financial year.
- **Tribunal rights kept.** Families would still be able to appeal, including against a decision that a child doesn't meet the threshold for a Specialist Provision Package, with more use of mediation first.

## The proposed timeline

The DfE's fact sheet for mainstream schools sets out three phases:

- **Phase one, 2026 to 2028:** training for all staff, the Inclusive Mainstream Fund, Experts at Hand for all settings, and publication of Specialist Provision Packages and the National Inclusion Standards.
- **Phase two, 2028 to 2029:** further investment, with new legislation "expected to come into effect from September 2029".
- **Phase three, 2029/30 onwards:** the first assessments under the new system and the first children using Specialist Provision Packages.

For children who already have an EHCP, the consultation says all existing EHCPs and protections "will remain in place until September 2030", and that changes would only happen at the end of a phase of education (primary, secondary or post-16) or if the family chooses to move to the new system. Children with a special school place in September 2029 would be able to stay until the end of their education, unless they choose to move to mainstream.

These dates depend on legislation that hasn't been introduced, so they could change.

## Where it stands (October 2026)

- The consultation closed on **18 May 2026**.
- The government response **had not been published** when we checked GOV.UK on 20 October 2026. On 15 October 2026 the Education Secretary said: "We're working through the response to the SEND consultation - and we've got to do this properly and get this right."
- The government hasn't introduced a bill to make these changes. We checked the Parliament bills list on 20 October 2026.

## What's already happening in schools

These changes are under way now, without new legislation:

- **Inclusive Mainstream Fund.** Schools receive a share of the fund. The DfE fact sheet puts it at more than £500 million a year over three years across early years, schools and colleges.
- **Inclusion strategy by 31 December 2026.** Under the fund's conditions of grant, each school must publish an inclusion strategy on its website by 31 December 2026, covering the barriers to learning in its cohort, what it is investing in, intended outcomes and budgeted costs. The DfE has published a template.
- **SEND training.** The first free training materials for schools were published in September 2026. The DfE says fully funded courses for teachers, leaders and teaching assistants will start in autumn 2027.
- **Experts at Hand.** Local areas began rolling out the first parts of their offer from September 2026, bringing specialists such as speech and language therapists and educational psychologists into mainstream settings. The DfE says it must never replace support set out in an EHCP.
- **Inclusion bases.** New guidance and capital funding to set up bases in mainstream schools.

## Pupil voice under the current system and the proposals

The duty to hear children with SEND is already in law. Section 19 of the Children and Families Act 2014 says local authorities must have regard to the views, wishes and feelings of the child and their parents, and the importance of them taking part "as fully as possible" in decisions. The SEND Code of Practice opens with this principle (paragraph 1.1), and schools must have regard to the Code. For SEN support, it says schools should gather the pupil's views when deciding whether a child has SEN (paragraph 6.19), when reviewing support (paragraph 6.54) and in the regular meetings with parents, with the outcome recorded (paragraphs 6.70 and 6.71).

The consultation keeps this direction. Under "Children and families at the centre", it says children, young people and their families "will be engaged in the development of their ISPs", and that "the voices of children and parents will be included in decision-making". It also promised a new Pupil Engagement Framework in summer 2026 to understand children's day-to-day experiences of school. We couldn't find it published on GOV.UK when we checked on 20 October 2026.

Hearing a pupil with SEND matters for safeguarding too. KCSIE 2026 names communication barriers, and adults assuming that changes in behaviour or mood are part of a child's condition, as reasons abuse can go unnoticed (paragraph 249). See our guide to the [voice of the child](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/voice-of-the-child) for practical ways to hear and record it, including for children who don't use speech.

## What schools should do now

- **Keep meeting current duties.** SEN support, the graduated approach, EHCP reviews and requests for EHC needs assessments all work as before. Don't tell families a child "won't need" an EHCP because of the reforms.
- **Publish your inclusion strategy** by 31 December 2026 if you receive the Inclusive Mainstream Fund.
- **Get your records in order.** Under the proposals, ISPs would be digital and follow the child. Clear records of needs, provision and reviews now will make any move easier.
- **Remember the safeguarding link.** Children with SEND face extra safeguarding risks, and Keeping children safe in education 2026 asks DSLs to be alert to their needs, including online. The SENCO and the DSL should keep talking whatever the reforms bring.

We'll update this page when the government response is published.

## Questions

**Is the EHCP being scrapped?**  
No. The proposals keep EHCPs for children and young people with the most complex needs, linked to new Specialist Provision Packages. Other children with SEND would have an Individual Support Plan instead. The government says existing EHCPs and protections will stay in place until September 2030 at the earliest, and nothing changes until new legislation is passed.

**When will the SEND reforms happen?**  
The government's timeline has three phases. Investment, training and new support services from 2026 to 2028; new legislation expected to come into effect from September 2029; and the first assessments under the new system in the 2029/30 school year. Children with existing EHCPs would see no change before September 2030 at the earliest.

**What is an Individual Support Plan?**  
An Individual Support Plan (ISP) is the proposed digital record of a child's needs and the day-to-day support their school provides, developed with parents. The proposals say every child with SEND would have one. ISPs don't exist in law yet and would need new legislation.

**Has the government responded to the SEND consultation?**  
Not when we checked on 20 October 2026. The consultation closed on 18 May 2026. On 15 October 2026 the Education Secretary said the government was "working through the response to the SEND consultation".

**Do schools have to publish an inclusion strategy?**  
Mainstream schools that receive the Inclusive Mainstream Fund must publish an inclusion strategy on their website by 31 December 2026. This is a condition of the grant, not a change in SEND law.

**What does the SEND code of practice say about pupil voice?**  
The Code opens with section 19 of the Children and Families Act 2014, which requires local authorities to have regard to the views, wishes and feelings of the child and their parents. For SEN support, schools should gather the pupil's views when deciding whether a child has SEN, when reviewing support and in the regular meetings with parents (paragraphs 6.19, 6.54 and 6.70). The reform proposals haven't changed this.

## Sources

- [Every child achieving and thriving: schools white paper (DfE, 23 February 2026, corrected 27 April 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/every-child-achieving-and-thriving), checked 2026-10-20
- [SEND reform: putting children and young people first, consultation (DfE, 23 February to 18 May 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first), checked 2026-10-20
- [Information on SEND reform for those leading and working in mainstream schools (DfE fact sheet)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a831e1b1f783fe89daaa3ff/Information_on_SEND_reform_for_those_leading_and_working_in_mainstream_schools.pdf), checked 2026-10-20
- [What's happening now to support children and young people with SEND in mainstream education (DfE fact sheet, June 2026)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6a8d86b33b22fb169dc18d1f/What_s_happening_now_to_support_children_and_young_people_with_SEND_in_mainstream_education.pdf), checked 2026-10-20
- [Developing an inclusion strategy using the inclusive mainstream fund (DfE, non-statutory guidance)](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusive-mainstream-fund-support-for-school-leaders/developing-an-inclusion-strategy-using-the-inclusive-mainstream-fund), checked 2026-10-20
- [Education Secretary speech at CST Conference 2026 (15 October 2026)](https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/education-secretary-speech-at-cst-conference-2026), checked 2026-10-20
- [Children and Families Act 2014, section 19 (legislation.gov.uk)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2014/6/section/19), checked 2026-10-20
- [SEND code of practice: 0 to 25 years (DfE and DHSC, January 2015): paragraphs 1.1, 6.19, 6.54 and 6.70 to 6.71](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/send-code-of-practice-0-to-25), checked 2026-10-20
- [Keeping children safe in education 2026: paragraph 249 (children with SEND)](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6ac3c09c11ed58342ad8e4ac/Keeping_children_safe_in_education_2026.pdf), checked 2026-10-20

## Related

- [SEND jobs](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/jobs/role/send): SENCO, SEND and inclusion roles in schools in England.
- [SEND in Pupil Protect Safeguard](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/safeguard)
- [Supporting pupils with medical conditions](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/guides/supporting-pupils-with-medical-conditions)
- [Part-time timetables](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/part-time-timetable)
- [Voice of the child](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/voice-of-the-child)
- [What is a designated safeguarding lead?](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/glossary/dsl)

## In Pupil Protect

Pupil Protect Safeguard keeps your SEND register, each pupil's SEN status and stage, classroom adjustments and SEND notes on the same record as safeguarding, next to what your MIS sends about needs, provision and EHCPs. Support plans and EHCP documents are coming soon. [See SEND in Safeguard](https://pupilprotect.co.uk/safeguard)