SEND Reform 2026 White Paper, in Plain English

On 23 February 2026, the Department for Education published the Schools White Paper Every Child Achieving and Thriving. Alongside it sits a separate but linked consultation, SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First. Together these documents propose the biggest changes to England's SEND system since the Children and Families Act 2014.

The system is, by everyone's admission, in crisis. Kent County Council alone spends over £107 million per year on private special school placements, with two state special schools planned for 2026 now delayed until at least 2028. National EHCP numbers have grown 140% in a decade. SEND Tribunal appeals are at record highs (Kent had over 430 in 2024) and parents win around 98% of them, which is itself a sign that local authority decision-making is failing.

The reforms are an attempt to reset the system. Whether they succeed, weaken parents' rights, or both, depends on the details, and the details are still being decided. Hence the consultation. Hence why responding to it matters.

What is the SEND White Paper 2026?

Two separate documents that need to be read together:

1. The Schools White Paper "Every Child Achieving and Thriving" (DfE, 23 Feb 2026). The broader vision document covering school improvement, curriculum, attendance, and SEND.
2. The SEND Reform consultation "Putting Children and Young People First" (DfE, open 23 Feb to 18 May 2026). The detailed SEND-specific proposals where the public is invited to respond.

The official documents are available at:

• gov.uk: Every Child Achieving and Thriving
• consult.education.gov.uk: SEND Reform consultation (the response form)
• Commons Library research briefing CBP-10550 (the most readable summary written by Parliament's research staff)

What's actually changing

Six headline proposals:

1. A four-tier SEND support model

The current system is essentially binary: SEN Support (school-level) or EHCP (legal plan). The proposed model has four levels:

• Universal: Good quality teaching for everyone, calm classroom environments, early identification.
• Targeted: Extra support inside mainstream schools (small group work, in-class TA support, accommodations).
• Individual Support Plan (ISP): A new tier for children with moderate needs who would currently sit at the lower end of EHCPs.
• EHCP: Reserved for the most complex needs, retaining its current legal force.

2. Individual Support Plans (ISPs) replace lower-tier EHCPs

The most contested proposal. ISPs would be a lighter-touch document compared to EHCPs. The white paper is unclear on whether ISPs would carry tribunal rights or be enforceable in the same way as EHCPs. This is the single biggest concern raised by parent campaigners.

3. Inclusion Bases inside mainstream schools

"Inclusion bases" are dedicated specialist spaces inside ordinary primary and secondary schools, offering on-site SEND support without sending the child out of mainstream. The aim is to keep more children in their local school with structured support.

4. 6,500 additional SEND-trained teachers

An expanded SEND workforce, including dedicated SENCOs in every school and SEND-specific Continuing Professional Development (CPD).

5. Local SEND Reform Plans by autumn 2026

Each local area partnership (council + NHS + schools) will publish their own SEND Reform Plan setting out how the national framework will work locally.

6. Inclusive Mainstream Fund (2026/27 academic year)

New funding stream for schools to improve their universal SEND offer. Distinct from the High Needs Block which currently funds EHCPs.

Are EHCPs being abolished?

No. This is the headline question and the answer matters: EHCPs are not being abolished. The proposals reserve them for children with the most complex needs while moving moderate cases to ISPs.

Crucially, all existing EHCPs are protected. The Department for Education has stated that no changes to the support given by existing EHCPs will begin before September 2030. Your current legal rights to apply for an EHCP, to appeal to the SEND Tribunal, and to maintain your existing plan all remain unchanged for now.

The concern is what happens at the boundary: if a child currently sits at the lower end of EHCP eligibility, would they get an EHCP or an ISP under the new system? The white paper does not answer this in detail. The consultation invites views.

What is an Individual Support Plan (ISP)?

An ISP is a new proposed document that would sit between general school SEN Support and an EHCP. The proposals describe ISPs as:

• Standardised across local areas (currently SEN Support varies enormously between councils)
• Owned by the school, with input from the local authority and parents
• Reviewed annually
• Focused on identifying needs and the support each school will provide

What is not yet clear:

• Whether ISPs would be legally enforceable in the way EHCPs are (Section 42 of the Children and Families Act)
• Whether parents could appeal an ISP decision to the SEND Tribunal
• Whether ISPs would carry funding entitlement attached to the child
• How the boundary between ISP and EHCP would be drawn in practice

These open questions are why so many parent campaigners and SEND lawyers are responding to the consultation in detail. If ISPs are introduced without enforceable rights, the practical effect could be to remove the legal floor under SEND provision for a large group of children.

Reform timeline 2026 → 2030

• 23 Feb 2026: White paper and consultation published
• 18 May 2026 (11:45pm): Consultation closes
• Summer 2026: Government response to consultation expected
• 2026/27 academic year: Inclusive Mainstream Fund opens, SEND CPD begins
• Autumn 2026: Local SEND Reform Plans published by each area
• 2027 onwards: Any required legislation passes through Parliament
• September 2030: Earliest date any changes to existing EHCPs would take effect

What it means for Kent families

Kent has the largest SEND population of any local authority in England, around 26,000 children with EHCPs. The white paper has specific implications for Kent:

• The pressure on private placements should ease, in theory. Kent's £107 million per year on private special schools reflects the gap in state special school capacity. The proposed expansion of inclusion bases in mainstream schools is partly aimed at reducing this gap. Whether it works depends on how well the Inclusive Mainstream Fund funds Kent specifically.
• The Kent SEND Reform Plan (autumn 2026) will be a key document. KCC will need to publish how the national framework works in Kent. This is the document Kent parents should engage with locally once published.
• Tribunal rights stay intact, for now. Kent's 98% parent success rate at SEND Tribunal (per Hansard, November 2025) is the floor under the current system. If ISPs replace lower-tier EHCPs without tribunal rights, that floor disappears for affected families. See our guide to the Kent SEND Tribunal success rate.
• Two new state special schools, originally planned for 2026, now delayed to 2028. The reform timetable doesn't fix this. Kent families needing specialist placement should plan accordingly.

Concerns from parent campaigners

The May 9th 2026 #SaveOurChildrensRights protest in London and regional centres set out the campaigning position. The main concerns:

1. Loss of enforceable rights for ISP children. If ISPs do not carry tribunal rights, parents lose the appeal route that has driven Kent's 98% tribunal success rate. The system depends on this counterweight.
2. Two-tier framework. EHCP children would retain rights, ISP children would not. The boundary is opaque and would be drawn by the local authority, the same body parents are appealing against.
3. Local Reform Plans risk a postcode lottery. Each local area writes its own. Provision could vary even more than today.
4. Funding follows pupils less clearly under ISPs. Schools may receive block funding rather than child-specific funding, weakening accountability.
5. Workforce expansion takes years. 6,500 new SEND-trained teachers do not appear by autumn 2026, but the system reform timeline assumes they will.

The campaign hashtags are #SaveOurChildrensRights, #FixSEND, #SENDcrisis. Special Needs Jungle, IPSEA, Disability Rights UK and Contact have all published detailed analyses worth reading.

How to respond to the consultation

1. Go to the official response form: consult.education.gov.uk SEND Reform response form
2. Choose your respondent type: parent / carer / professional / member of the public.
3. Even a short response counts. You don't have to answer every question. Pick the 2-3 you most care about and answer those.
4. Use a template if helpful. Special Needs Jungle, IPSEA, and Disability Rights UK have published response templates with key talking points. You can adapt these to your child's specific situation.
5. Be specific. Specific examples ("My son's EHCP enabled X support, without the legal force of Section F he would not get this") count for more than general statements.
6. Submit before 11:45pm on 18 May 2026.

If you don't have time for the full consultation, even a short email to your local MP saying "I want SEND reform but not at the cost of legal rights to support" makes a difference. Find your MP at members.parliament.uk.

What to do right now to protect your child

Five practical steps regardless of how the reforms land:

1. If your child should have an EHCP and doesn't, apply now. Existing rights are protected to September 2030. An EHCP issued under the current system gives your child enforceable provision through the tribunal route. See our Kent EHCP application guide.
2. Respond to the consultation before 18 May. See above.
3. If you've been refused or downgraded, appeal. 98% of Kent SEND tribunals are decided in favour of parents (Hansard, Nov 2025). See our Kent SEND Tribunal guide and the step-by-step EHCP Appeal guide.
4. Keep detailed written records. Of every meeting, every decision, every promise made by school or local authority. If the system changes, the paper trail you build now becomes the evidence for any future challenge.
5. Engage with the campaigning community. Special Needs Jungle, SOS!SEN, IPSEA all run campaigns to keep enforceable rights in any final reform. Following them and amplifying their work via social media adds to the political pressure.

FAQ

What is the SEND White Paper 2026?

The Schools White Paper "Every Child Achieving and Thriving" (DfE, 23 Feb 2026) plus the SEND Reform consultation "Putting Children and Young People First". Together they propose the biggest SEND system change since 2014.

Is the Government stopping EHCPs?

No. EHCPs continue but are reserved for the most complex needs. New Individual Support Plans (ISPs) are proposed for moderate needs. Existing EHCPs are protected until at least September 2030.

What is an Individual Support Plan (ISP)?

A new proposed document sitting between school SEN Support and EHCPs. Owned by schools, with annual review. Tribunal rights and funding mechanism are still being decided.

When do the SEND reforms take effect?

Consultation closes 18 May 2026. Government response summer 2026. Inclusive Mainstream Fund and CPD start 2026/27 academic year. No changes to existing EHCPs before September 2030.

How do I respond to the SEND Reform consultation?

Go to consult.education.gov.uk/send-strategy-division and submit the response form. Open until 11:45pm on 18 May 2026. Templates available from Special Needs Jungle, IPSEA, Disability Rights UK.

What does the SEND White Paper mean for Kent families?

Kent has 26,000 EHCP children and £107m/year on private placements. The reforms aim to expand mainstream inclusion (welcome) but risk weakening tribunal rights for ISP children (concerning). Kent's local SEND Reform Plan due autumn 2026.

What can I do right now?

Apply for any pending EHCP under the current system. Respond to the consultation. Appeal any refusals or downgrades. Keep written records of everything. Follow the campaigning organisations.

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Disclaimer: This article was written by a Kent parent with lived experience of the SEND system. It summarises publicly available government documents and parent-campaigning analysis as of 9 May 2026. The proposals are at consultation stage and may change. Always check the current position at gov.uk and seek free legal advice from IPSEA or Kent IASK on your specific situation.