Major SEND Reform Coming: New Individual Support Plans for All Students
The government's 'Every Child Achieving and Thriving' White Paper outlines sweeping changes to special educational needs support, introducing digital Individual Support Plans for every child with SEND and reforming how EHCPs work by 2030.
What's being reformed
Changes to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system have been announced as part of the schools white paper 'Every Child Achieving and Thriving'. The changes will mean children with SEND receive the right support early on as standard, wherever they go to school—so every child can achieve and thrive.
The government is creating a simple, logical system to meet the needs of all children and young people with SEND. This starts with a universal offer of support which every child will benefit from, across all schools, including high-quality adaptive teaching, calm environments, and early help when needed. Most children are expected to have their needs met through this offer.
New Individual Support Plans
Under changes to the SEND system, every child with additional needs will have a new Individual Support Plan. An Individual Support Plan is a digital record of your child's needs, the day-to-day support your child will have, and how it will be given. Both teachers and parents will be able to access this record.
Timeline for change
No changes to the support given by EHCPs will begin before September 2030. This means the current EHCP system remains in place and fully functional for the next four years. Information on specialist provision packages will be published in draft in autumn 2026 and final versions in 2027 to 2028.
For families now
The Government has announced almost £4 billion of extra funding for pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) but also changes to the system, including that by 2035 EHCPs will be reserved only for those with the most complex special educational needs.
If your child has an EHCP or is going through SEND assessment now, the existing system fully applies and there are no changes to your current entitlements before 2030. The consultation on reform is still ongoing, and draft specialist provision packages will be published in autumn 2026. If you have a child with SEND, you should continue to follow the current EHCP process and expect no disruption to their current support until at least 2030.
Sources
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