Our thoughts on the SEND white paper

We have had lots of questions around the government's SEND white paper. Read on for a summary of the proposed changes and our thoughts

1. First – Nothing Is Changing Right Now

It’s important to start here:

• Your legal rights have not changed.

• EHCPs are still legally protected.

• Appeals and tribunals remain exactly the same.

• The Children and Families Act is still in place.

• No changes will happen before 2028 because there is a consultation process.

If you are applying for an EHCP now, it is still absolutely worth doing. Just make sure your evidence is strong and well documented.

If your child is in Year 3 or above and already has an EHCP, it is expected to remain in place until the end of Year 11 unless it is genuinely no longer needed.

If your child is in an SEN school, they are very likely to stay there.

2. Why Is the Government Changing Things?

The government says the current system:

• Feels adversarial.

• Forces parents to “fight” for support.

• Pushes families into tribunal because they feel there is no other option.

• Delivers very different quality depending on where you live (postcode lottery).

• Is financially unsustainable.

They are not saying children with SEND “cost too much.” They are saying the system is inconsistent and under financial strain.

There is also a lot of spending on independent specialist schools, partly because mainstream support often isn’t working well enough.

3. The “EHCP Crisis” Explained

EHCP numbers have risen sharply.

However, fifty years ago, many children with SEND simply weren’t in school.

Now, families are seeking EHCPs because they are the only tangible, enforceable guarantee of support. Many parents apply because they feel desperate and unsupported otherwise.

4. What Is the White Paper Trying to Do?

The White Paper talks about:

• Every child “achieving and thriving”.

• Stronger national standards for SEND.

• Earlier identification of needs.

• More consistent support across the country.

• Digital EHCPs and support plans.

• Stronger family-school partnerships.

5. A Big Focus on Mainstream Inclusion

The biggest shift is around inclusion.

The default expectation will be that children attend mainstream schools.

There will be:

• Greater pressure on mainstream schools to meet needs.

• 10,000 new mainstream places (reported).

• 50,000 new inclusion base places (reported).

• Ofsted grading inclusion in future.

This is where many parents feel worried.

Key concerns include:

• Could mainstream inclusion become a cost-saving exercise?

• What does “inclusion” actually mean?

• Can mainstream environments genuinely meet complex needs?

• Is building accessibility enough to create real inclusion?

Inclusion is hard to measure — and hard to get right.

6. Funding Announced

The government has announced:

• £1.6 billion for early intervention and inclusion.

• £1.8 billion for “expert in hand” services (schools can access specialists).

• £3.6 billion to improve building accessibility.

• £40 million to increase the specialist workforce (SALT, Educational Psychologists, etc.).

7. Support Without an EHCP

A tiered support system is proposed:

1. Universal support (Quality First Teaching).

2. Targeted and targeted-plus support (structured specialist interventions).

3. A further structured level of support.

If your child does not have an EHCP, they will have a digital support plan reviewed every year.

8. Reassessments at Key Points

The government is considering reassessments at transition points.

For example:

• A child in Year 2 may be reassessed in Year 6 before secondary school.

Reassessment can be positive if it adapts support appropriately.

It is concerning only if reassessment becomes about reducing costs rather than meeting need.

9. Teacher Training and Specialists

Teachers will be required to do SEND training.

We need to ask:

• Will the training be genuinely high quality?

• Teachers are already exhausted — will they have capacity?

• Where will experienced specialists to train and consult come from?

• Many experts now work independently, and local authorities often resist independent recommendations.

10. Family–School Relationships

The White Paper says it wants to reduce the adversarial culture.

Proposals include:

• A digital complaints process.

• Stronger partnership working.

• More guidance for home learning.

For this to work, parents need to be respected as experts in their own children, making decisions through a neurodivergent lens.

11. Are Concerns Justified?

Yes, particularly around:

• EHCPs potentially becoming harder to secure in future.

• Inclusion being used primarily as a cost control strategy.

• Reduction in reliance on independent specialist schools.

• Workforce shortages.

• Inclusion being measured in ways that don’t reflect lived experience.

It is reasonable to feel cautious.

12. What Can Parents Do Now?

• Stay calm — nothing has changed legally.

• Continue to apply for EHCPs if needed.

• Build strong, evidence-based cases.

• Keep records.

• Stay informed during consultation.

• Do not withdraw or disengage.

• Ask questions.

• Connect with informed support networks.