Parents called on to shape SEND system reform 

Around 1.7 million children in England have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This is roughly one in five children in schools across the country.

The government claim this fact has driven its plans for reform. Backed by £4 billion, the government are setting out to overhaul what they deem a “broken SEND system”. The goal is for every child to get the right support, in their local school, at the earliest possible stage, without having to fight for it.

The government has committed to creating this new system with children, young people, parents, and professionals. It is calling on parents to have their say on its reforms before the consultation closes on 18 May. 

The final days of the consultation come as the government announced the Education for All Bill in yesterday’s King’s Speech [13 May 2026].

Mixed reaction from sector leaders and experts

Commenting on the SEND announcement, Carole Willis, chief executive of NFER, said:

“After years of mounting pressure on the SEND system, it is positive to see plans, included in the Education for All Bill designed to strengthen support for children and young people with SEND, including investment in inclusion bases in mainstream schools.

“Our research suggests that, if implemented well, inclusion bases could help mainstream schools strengthen specialist expertise, improve access to support, and promote closer multi-agency working. However, our evidence on impact of their predecessors, Resourced Provision and SEN Units, is mixed highlighting that successful implementation will be key.

“Successful implementation will depend not only on funding, but on ensuring schools have access to the workforce capacity, training and specialist expertise needed to deliver inclusive practice effectively. As reforms develop, it will be important that accountability, admissions, and resourcing arrangements support all schools to play their part in inclusive education.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“The principle of equipping mainstream schools to be able to support more children with special educational needs, ensuring they can attend a local school wherever possible, is welcome.

“So too is the additional investment announced by the government. But school leaders have serious worries about their ability to implement reforms of this scale effectively with the proposed training and funding.

“We need to see further details on how the proposed pooled funding would work, but it will be crucial that schools can access the money they need to support individual pupils with differing needs regardless of the type of school they are in – be it under a local authority umbrella or part of an academy trust.”

In a recent survey of its members in April on the White Paper proposals, NAHT found:

• 63 per cent said they were broadly supportive of the proposals for reform of the SEND system
• 80 per cent said that the suggested timescales for curriculum and SEND reforms were unfeasible
• 86 per cent said that their school would not have the capacity to implement the SEND reforms effectively with the proposed training and investment

What the new legislation aims to deliver

Despite concern, the government believes the new legislation will mean long-term change to create a more inclusive mainstream system. Its aim is to deliver high-quality education, health, and care services in every community from 2029.  

The new legislation plans to focus on:

• Providing early support, strong protections and fairness, ensuring children get the support they need quickly through new legal duties to put an Individual Support Plan (ISP) in place for every child and young person with SEND and National Inclusion Standards
• Clearer protections for children with the most complex needs through reformed EHCP processes, Specialist Provision Packages and stronger oversight of Independent Special Schools
• Managing a smooth transition to the new system that is centred on fairness through clear transitional protections, including a triple lock to ensure no child loses effective support as the system changes

Education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said:

“Children with SEND deserve a system that lifts them up, and that puts no limit on what they can go on to achieve.

“That means overhauling a broken SEND system that has failed children for too long – through investment, training and legislation to build foundations for reform that can’t be easily reversed.

“The Education for All Bill is a vital lever in this process, but I am clear that any changes must be built with the families they are designed to serve.

“There are five days left to feed into our consultation, and I want to hear from as many parents as possible to make sure we build a system fit to last.”

The consultation closes at 11:59pm on Monday 18 May. Responses can be submitted at SEND reform: putting children and young people first – Department for Education – Citizen Space.  

Parents can read more about proposed changes here.