Labour's Send revolution may face legal and political tests

Bridget Phillipson has unveiled a 10-year SEND reform plan with new funding commitments and major changes to EHCPs; a public consultation has begun and reviews of individual EHCPs are due to start in September 2029.

Bridget Phillipson has unveiled a 10-year plan to reform England's system for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The government presented new funding commitments alongside proposals to change how education, health and care plans (EHCPs) work. Officials described the reforms as a move towards greater inclusion in mainstream schools while reserving EHCPs for the most complex needs. A long public consultation on the plans has begun. Key facts: - The government says about 1.7 million children are currently classified as having SEND. - Ministers have allocated £1.6bn over three years for early identification and support in mainstream schools and £1.8bn for speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and other professionals in schools. - There are nearly 639,000 EHCPs in place now; the proposals aim to reserve EHCPs for children with "the most complex needs" and could reduce the total by around 270,000 by 2035. - Reviews of individual EHCP cases are scheduled to begin in September 2029 as part of the transition to the new system. - Parents and some professionals have raised concerns about mainstream workloads, the scope of training funded, the legal status of proposed Individual Support Plans, and the political risk if a future government changes course. Summary: The reforms reconfigure funding and the legal framework for SEND provision while signalling a shift toward mainstream inclusion. A long consultation is now under way and formal reviews of EHCPs will begin in September 2029; how the changes play out will depend on the consultation responses and subsequent implementation decisions.