SEND reforms may reshape support for England's children

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson is due to set out plans to shift more SEND support and therapy into schools rather than through local councils; parents fear changes could narrow the legal protections tied to EHCPs.

Education secretary Bridget Phillipson is due to set out wide-ranging reforms to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The proposals would increase the role of mainstream schools in providing individual support and therapy rather than relying primarily on local councils. Numbers of children with legally enforceable Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) have roughly doubled since 2014, and councils report increasing financial strain. Parents who obtained EHCPs express concern that the legal protections they rely on could be narrowed as the system changes. Key facts about the proposed reforms: - Bridget Phillipson is set to announce changes that move more SEND support and therapy into schools. - More than 480,000 children currently have EHCPs, and the number has doubled since reforms in 2014. - Local authorities report steep cost pressures, described in the article as leaving an estimated £6bn funding gap. - The white paper sets a multi-year rollout: EHCPs will be reviewed when children move to secondary school and, from 2030, are planned to be reserved for the most severe and complex needs, with individual support plans for others. Summary: The reforms aim to provide earlier, school-based support and to reduce the need for lengthy legal disputes over EHCPs. Many parents worry that narrowing the use of EHCPs could reduce enforceable rights for children who currently depend on them. The education secretary's announcement and a phased implementation timetable are planned, though detailed operational arrangements remain undetermined at this time.