The DfE's SEND Reform: What it means for schools, SENDCos and students

SEND reform is the UK government's plan to improve how children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities receive support in England. The reforms aim to create a more consistent system, strengthen support in mainstream settings, and help children access the right support earlier.

For schools and SENDCos, these changes will affect how support is planned, funded, and delivered. While some details are still being developed, understanding the direction of travel now can help schools prepare and continue building more inclusive learning environments.

What is SEND reform?

SEND reform is the government's programme to change how support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities is identified, funded, and delivered across England.

The reforms are set out in the government's consultation, SEND reform: putting children and young people first, which proposes changes across education, health, and care services. The aim is to make support earlier, fairer, and more consistent across the 0 to 25 system.

A key shift is the move from diagnosis-led support to needs-led support. In practice, this means children should be able to access help based on the barriers they face, rather than waiting for a diagnosis, statutory assessment, or formal plan before support begins.

The reform also aims to reduce variation across the country. Families, schools, and professionals should have a clearer shared understanding of what support should be available at each level of need.

Why reform is happening

The current SEND system is under significant pressure. Demand for support has increased, waiting times for assessments remain high in many areas, and schools are being asked to meet increasingly complex needs with limited resources.

Recent figures show more than one in five pupils in England now receive SEND support, either through an Education, Health and Care Plan or through SEN support. This means the system is supporting a large and growing group of learners.

At the same time, families often report very different experiences depending on where they live. Access to support, specialist services, and funding can vary considerably between local authorities, creating what many describe as a postcode lottery.

The government's view is that support should be available earlier, more consistently, and with less reliance on formal processes before help can be put in place.

For schools, the challenge is not simply providing more support. It is creating environments where children can access the support they need before difficulties escalate.

What's changing for schools?

Several changes are expected to shape the future SEND landscape.

The government has proposed a new tiered model of support, designed to make expectations clearer and help pupils receive the right support at the right time. Alongside this, schools may see the introduction of Individual Support Plans, increased access to specialist advice, and additional funding aimed at strengthening support within mainstream settings.

The reforms also place a stronger focus on inclusion. The expectation is not simply that more pupils remain in mainstream education, but that mainstream schools become better equipped to meet a wider range of needs through training, specialist support, assistive technology, and evidence-based practice.

For SENDCos, this means a more strategic role in shaping inclusive provision across the whole school, rather than primarily coordinating interventions and paperwork.

The government has also said that Individual Support Plans would create a legal duty for schools and settings to record and monitor needs and provision for children and young people with SEND.

The shift towards earlier intervention

One of the strongest themes running through the reform programme is earlier intervention.

The goal is to identify and respond to needs as soon as they emerge, rather than waiting until difficulties become severe enough to require statutory assessment or specialist placement.

In practice, this could mean:

• Faster access to specialist advice
• Greater support within mainstream classrooms
• Improved collaboration between education, health, and care services
• More consistent support for children who do not have an EHCP

For many schools, this approach will feel familiar. Effective SEND provision has always focused on early identification, responsive teaching, and removing barriers before they become entrenched.

The reform aims to make those principles more consistent across the system.

The new tiered model explained

The proposed system organises SEND support into clear levels. The aim is to make it easier for schools, families, and professionals to understand what support should be available and when needs may require more specialist input.

Pupils may move between levels as their needs change. The model should not be seen as a fixed ladder or a label. It is designed to help schools respond more flexibly and consistently.

The most important point is that support should not start only when a child reaches the highest level. A strong universal offer helps more pupils access learning earlier and reduces the need for support to escalate.

Individual Support Plans and EHCPs: what is different?

Individual Support Plans, or ISPs, are one of the biggest proposed changes.

An ISP is expected to be a digital record of a child or young person's needs, the support in place, and the outcomes being worked towards. The government says every school, nursery, and college would have a legal duty to create one for every child with SEND.

EHCPs would continue for children and young people with the most complex needs. ISPs are intended to support children who need additional help but do not have an EHCP.

For schools, ISPs could bring greater consistency in how support is recorded and reviewed. They may also make it easier for families, teachers, and specialists to work from the same information.

However, there are still important details to be clarified, including the exact digital format, how plans will move between settings, and what training schools will receive.

What happens to existing EHCPs?

Many families are understandably concerned about what reform means for existing EHCPs.

The government has said no changes to EHCP support will begin before September 2030. Children and young people with existing EHCPs are expected to keep them until the end of their current phase of education.

This reassurance matters. Families need clarity and stability, especially where support has taken a long time to secure.

For schools, the key message is to continue delivering current EHCP provision while preparing for how ISPs and the tiered model may change future planning.

What this means for students and families

For students and families, the promise of reform is earlier, clearer, and more consistent support.

In the current system, many families feel they have to wait too long or fight too hard before help is put in place. A stronger needs-led approach should mean children receive support as soon as barriers are identified.

In practice, this could mean:

• Support beginning before a formal diagnosis
• Teachers using evidence-based strategies more consistently
• Families having clearer records of needs, support, and outcomes
• Pupils receiving specialist advice without always needing an EHCP
• Less variation in support between local areas

The success of the reform will depend on how well it is funded, communicated, and delivered. Schools will need time, training, and practical tools to make these changes work in real classrooms.

What schools can do now

Schools do not need to wait for every policy detail to be finalised before preparing.

The most useful starting point is to review current SEND provision and ask how well it supports early identification, inclusive practice, and consistent planning.

1. Audit current provision

Schools can start by mapping what is already in place across universal, targeted, and specialist support.

Useful questions include:

• Which inclusive teaching strategies are used consistently across classrooms?
• Which interventions are running, and how is impact tracked?
• How quickly can staff access specialist advice?
• Where are the gaps in support for communication, sensory needs, executive function, or mental health?
• How confident do staff feel supporting pupils with SEND?

This should involve more than the SENDCo. Reform will require whole-school ownership, with leaders, teachers, support staff, families, and pupils all playing a role.

2. Strengthen the universal offer

The universal offer is the support available to all pupils through high-quality teaching, accessible resources, and reasonable adjustments.

This is where schools can make the biggest early difference.

A stronger universal offer may include:

• Clear written instructions
• Visual supports and routines
• Flexible ways for pupils to show understanding
• Assistive technology available to all learners
• Sensory-aware classroom environments
• Teaching that supports working memory and executive function

When these approaches are embedded across the school, support becomes less dependent on individual staff knowledge or formal processes.

3. Prepare for Individual Support Plans

ISPs are likely to increase the importance of clear, consistent record keeping.

Schools can begin reviewing how they currently document:

• Barriers to learning
• Support strategies
• Outcomes and progress
• Family and pupil voice
• Specialist recommendations
• Review dates and next steps

This is also a good time to review whether current systems are easy to update, share, and use across staff teams.

4. Build staff confidence

SEND reform will only work if staff feel confident supporting a wider range of needs.

Training should focus on practical strategies that can be used in everyday teaching, not just policy knowledge.

Helpful areas include:

• Adaptive teaching
• Universal Design for Learning
• Assistive technology
• Communication needs
• Sensory processing
• Executive function and working memory
• Trauma-informed and neuroinclusive practice

This is where schools can start building capacity now, even while national details are still being finalised.

Building inclusive practice

Policy reform can set expectations, but inclusive practice happens in classrooms every day.

Creating truly inclusive classrooms means designing learning so more pupils can access it from the start. It also means making support easier to access before a child reaches crisis point.

Assistive technology can play an important role in this shift. Tools that support reading, writing, communication, organisation, and understanding can help pupils access learning in ways that work for them.

When these tools are available to all pupils, not only those with formal plans, they strengthen the universal offer and reduce barriers before needs escalate.

We develop technology that supports different ways of learning, working, and communicating. Our tools help schools make learning more accessible, while supporting staff to build inclusive practice with confidence.

What still needs to be clarified?

The reform is still being shaped, so some details remain unclear.

Schools should watch for further guidance on:

• The final national standards for each level of support
• The exact format and requirements for Individual Support Plans
• How funding will be allocated and monitored
• How inspection frameworks will reflect inclusion strategies
• What training and specialist support will be available to settings

This is why preparation matters. Schools can focus now on the areas that are unlikely to change: early identification, inclusive teaching, strong communication with families, and better use of accessible tools.