SEND Reform 2026 White Paper, in Plain English

England: source corrections on 22 September 2026. The February White Paper and consultation did not themselves change EHCP eligibility or remove an existing plan. Later implementation guidance does describe support and funding being introduced now. This page separates those developments from proposals for future legislation; it is an editorial source check, not qualified legal advice.

The documents and their status

The Schools White Paper Every Child Achieving and Thriving and the separate SEND consultation Putting Children and Young People First were published on 23 February 2026. The consultation’s glossary and Part Two explain the proposed structure; the consultation closed on 18 May.

The proposed layers, in plain English

• Universal: the inclusive offer for everyone in mainstream education.
• Targeted: additional support beyond that offer.
• Targeted Plus: support involving further specialist input.
• Specialist: provision for more complex needs, with proposed Specialist Provision Packages informing future EHCPs.

The document describes three support layers above Universal. An Individual Support Plan is a record of needs and provision, not a separate layer. The proposal envisages ISPs for children and young people with SEND, including those in the specialist system. Neither this description nor a school’s use of the term establishes a new current Tribunal jurisdiction.

What the other terms mean

Experts at Hand is a developing offer of professional advice and support around mainstream settings. Later June 2026 guidance sets out a phased launch from September 2026. It is additional to current statutory support; local availability is not identical everywhere.

Inclusion Bases is the consultation’s collective term for provision in mainstream settings, including Support Bases and Specialist Bases. Do not infer a particular child’s access, placement or funding from that term alone.

Inclusive Mainstream Fund is funding for settings. Current schools guidance sets an inclusion-strategy publication deadline of 31 December 2026. It is not an individual cash grant and does not replace Section F.

How to read future dates

The consultation’s proposed transition included new-system assessments from September 2029 and no reform-related changes to existing EHCP support before at least September 2030. Those policy intentions are not an individual exemption from current lawful review, amendment or cessation. Check any enacted framework and commencement dates before treating a proposed milestone as a legal deadline.

Questions Kent families can ask

• What does the school currently provide through SEN Support and the individual EHCP?
• What local Experts at Hand support is available, and how can the school access it?
• When will the school publish its inclusion strategy?
• If a policy or pilot is said to change a legal right, what exact published legal basis supports that statement?

What to do for an individual case now

Use the current statutory assessment test in section 36(8) and the later plan test in section 37. A proposed “most complex needs” threshold does not replace them. An existing plan can be amended or ceased only through the applicable legal process; a consultation does not freeze a plan permanently either.

For a current difficulty, use our Kent application guide, annual-review guide or appeal guide. Missing existing Section F provision generally needs a complaint or enforcement route, rather than an appeal against non-delivery itself. Check deadlines and ask IASK or IPSEA about the circumstances.

Official updates to follow

The main SEND consultation closed on 18 May 2026. Two separate consultations on upfront mainstream funding and education otherwise than at school closed on 18 September 2026. Their closure does not itself enact a rule. Check the official publication records for responses, legislation and guidance.

Frequently asked questions

Is an ISP a lower-tier EHCP?

The consultation proposed a different support record across the SEND system. Its final legal duties and remedies depend on the enacted framework; it should not be presented as an EHCP with identical rights or no rights at all.

Does the consultation mean every autistic child will move to an ISP?

No individual outcome can be inferred from a diagnosis or this policy summary. Current decisions must use current law and the individual evidence.