What the new SEND proposals mean for your child
The end of EHCPs in mainstream schools
The government plans to keep EHCPs exclusively for children and young adults who will require support for complex needs. As such, from 2029, all existing EHCPs will be reviewed, and pupils will start to be given the new Individual Support Plans (ISPs) – either instead or in addition to their EHCP – at the end of their current phase of education.
ISPs will come in three levels:
Targeted – the child will receive extra support within school
Targeted Plus – support involving additional expertise
Specialist support – for more complex needs and includes a ‘specialist provision package’ detailing the specific requirements of the child
For the two latter levels, schools may be able to bring in ‘experts at hand’ or external services, such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists or educational psychologists. Every school will also have access to mental health support.
This move aims to close the attainment gap and make support more consistent, less stressful to access, and easier for families to navigate. These plans will outline the additional help a child needs on top of what the school already provides for all pupils.
SEND support closer to home
Currently, many families must travel considerable distances for a child to attend a school that provides additional help to meet their needs. The government wants to create greater support in more mainstream schools and, in the process, cut the need for these long journeys. Over time, every mainstream secondary school will have an inclusion base: a dedicated space where children can receive extra support on site. Some schools will also host specialist hubs for particular needs, such as hearing impairment.
EHCPs aren’t disappearing
The children with more complex needs are those who will still qualify for an EHCP. This will give them a legal right to the specialist support ISP and its ‘specialist provision package’ which determines the most appropriate educational pathway according to the child’s diagnosis and needs. Children under five with significant needs will be fast-tracked.
These plans will be reviewed at the end of phase of education, and no child in a special school will be asked to leave before age 16.
Tackling the postcode lottery
To make support more consistent across the country, both ISPs and EHCPs will follow a standardised digital format. This should make plans easier to understand and transfer between schools. Every school will also publish an Inclusion Strategy, designed to inform parents of the school’s duties and goals for children with SEN.
Parents remain central
Parents will still be involved in planning their child’s support and will retain the right to request a mainstream school place. They may also name a preferred school when moving to secondary level with an ISP.
Mainstream schools should also see more outreach from specialist providers, helping them support children more effectively.
Reducing conflict and stress for parents
Many parents who have gone through the EHCP process will have had to fight for their child every step of the way. The government plans to invest more in mediation, hoping to resolve disagreements earlier and reduce the number of stressful, time consuming and expensive tribunals.
Training and evidence
Additional funding will allow all teachers to receive SEND training. The new wave of changes will be underpinned by research projects to provide a basis of evidence so parents can be reassured the support their child receives from a school is high-quality and effective.
What this means right now
School leaders and local authorities have welcomed the proposals to change what many have long considered to be an unfair and adversarial system. But there is also concern that the shift will require long term funding, staffing and cultural change. Until legislation is passed, all existing duties, rights and funding remain in place – and for many families currently navigating SEND provision, the immediate reality remains unchanged.
