SEND Reform: What Parents Need to Know

The Government has proposed major changes to the special educational needs and disabilities system in England.

The reforms aim to provide earlier support, improve inclusion in mainstream education and reduce the number of families who must fight to secure help.

However, many parents are understandably concerned about what the proposals could mean for Education, Health and Care Plans, specialist placements and existing legal rights.

The main SEND reform consultation closed on 18 May 2026. The Government is reviewing the responses before confirming its next steps. Many of the proposed changes are therefore not yet law.

Why Is the SEND System Being Reformed?

Families across England continue to experience:

• long EHCP delays
• difficulties accessing specialist assessments
• inconsistent SEN Support
• unsuitable or unavailable placements
• support being introduced only after a child reaches crisis
• provision in EHCPs not being delivered
• repeated complaints, mediation and tribunal appeals

The Government says it wants to create a system where needs are identified earlier and children receive more consistent support wherever they live or attend school.

Individual Support Plans

One of the main proposals is a new Individual Support Plan, or ISP, for every child and young person identified as having SEND.

An ISP would record:

• the child’s needs
• the support they should receive
• who will provide it
• how progress will be reviewed

The Government intends to introduce a legal duty requiring schools to create these plans.

This could give parents greater clarity about the support being provided through SEN Support. However, families will want to know what happens when the support in an ISP is inadequate or is not delivered.

What Could Happen to EHCPs?

The Government has said that EHCPs will remain for children and young people who require specialist provision.

Under the proposals, EHCPs could be supported by standardised Specialist Provision Packages, describing the support available for different levels or types of need.

These packages would provide a legal entitlement to the provision they contain.

Standardisation may help reduce differences between local authorities. However, support must still be based on each individual child.

Children do not always fit neatly into one category or package. Their communication, sensory, emotional, educational, health and social-care needs may overlap.

Any future EHCP system must remain specific, personalised and legally enforceable.

Greater Support in Mainstream Schools

The reforms place a strong emphasis on helping mainstream schools support a wider range of children.

Proposals include:

• additional SEND training for education staff
• clearer national expectations
• more access to Educational Psychologists and therapists
• greater specialist support within local communities
• more specialist places and provision within mainstream schools

The Government has also announced its intention to invest in additional specialist places and professional support.

Improving mainstream support could benefit many children. However, inclusion must involve more than simply placing a child in a mainstream classroom.

A child is not genuinely included if they are regularly distressed, isolated, unable to access learning or placed on a reduced timetable because appropriate support is unavailable.

For some children, specialist education will continue to be the most suitable provision.

Will Parents Keep Their Appeal Rights?

The Government has said that parents will continue to have routes to challenge decisions, including access to the SEND Tribunal in relevant cases.

However, families need clear information about:

• which decisions will carry a right of appeal
• how inadequate Individual Support Plans can be challenged
• how Specialist Provision Packages will be decided
• whether parents can request provision outside a standard package
• what happens when support is not delivered

A written plan is only meaningful when there is effective accountability behind it.

What Should Parents Do Now?

The current SEND legal framework remains in place while proposals are being considered and legislation is developed.

Parents can still:

• request an EHC needs assessment
• challenge a refusal to assess
• challenge a refusal to issue an EHCP
• request amendments to a draft EHCP
• express a preference for a school or college
• appeal eligible decisions to the SEND Tribunal
• expect the provision in Section F of an EHCP to be secured

Families should not be told that EHCP rights have already been removed or that they must wait for the new system.

The Government has stated that it intends to legislate through an Education for All Bill, but the detailed reforms and implementation arrangements still require further development.

What Should Families Watch For?

As the reforms progress, parents should look carefully at:

• which children will continue to receive EHCPs
• how Individual Support Plans will be enforced
• whether specialist placements remain available
• how children with complex needs will be protected
• whether schools receive enough funding and trained staff
• whether parents retain meaningful appeal rights
• how children will be supported during any transition

The success of SEND reform should not be measured simply by reducing the number of EHCPs or tribunal appeals.

It should be measured by whether children receive appropriate support earlier, feel safe, access education and make meaningful progress.

The NLH View

Earlier identification, better staff training and improved access to specialists are urgently needed.

However, reform must strengthen support—not reduce access to legal protection.

Inclusion should never mean expecting a child to remain in an unsuitable environment without the provision they need. Specialist placements must remain available for children who require them.

Families also need confidence that Individual Support Plans will lead to real, accountable provision rather than becoming another document that is not followed.

Any new system must be properly funded, legally accountable and shaped with children, young people and families.

NLH will continue to follow the SEND reforms and explain what future developments may mean for families.

Neurodiversity Learning Hub
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Supporting families with practical SEND information, guidance and advocacy.

This article provides general information about proposed SEND reforms in England and should not be treated as individual legal advice.