23rd February 2026

TAGS SEN, SEN white paper

• Today sees the publication of the Government’s schools whitepaper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving and the opportunity for families, Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) and stakeholders to comment directly on the proposals. We understand that some families may feel anxious about what the published proposals might mean for them and children and young people with SEND. This article outlines what the white paper is, what happens next and what it means for families right now.

  What is the schools white paper?

  The white paper is not a new law. It is a document that sets out the Government’s ideas and proposals for changes they would like to make to reform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system in England.

  👉Watch this short video explaining what a white paper is

  What happens next?

  There will now be a 12 week consultation which means that the Government has asked for views on its ideas. This is where families as well as organisations like Parent Carer Forums (PCFs) on behalf of families can share feedback over the next 12 weeks.

  After 12 weeks, the Government will consider the feedback and then may revise their proposals.

  If at this point changes to the law are required, which we suspect there will be, the Government must introduce a Bill to Parliament to be debated and examined before becoming law.

  What does it mean for me right now?

  At this point, existing SEND law remains unchanged. This means no legal rights or support will change for families. If you are told that support has changed because of the white paper, this is not correct.

  What’s in the schools white paper?

  Some of the main proposals are:

  • All schools will have to create an Individual Support Plan (ISP) for every child with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) that clearly sets out the help a child will receive.
  • Extra funding will make services like speech and language therapy and small group teaching easier to access.
  • The government will offer a wider legal entitlement beyond the ISP. This will see education, health and care (EHC) plans detail more intensive or complex support than schools can routinely provide.

  The government has said that no child will lose effective support already in place:

  • Every child with a special school place in 2029 will keep it if they want it until they finish education.
  • Children with EHC plans in mainstream schools will not be moved to ISPs until at least 2030. And this will only happen when moving between school stages (for example, primary to secondary).
  • Transition for children with an EHC plan in mainstream settings who will be best supported in the future via an ISP, rather than an EHC plan, will only begin from 2030 once the new inclusive mainstream system has been fully built. This will only happen as children naturally move between phases, like from primary to secondary.
  • ISPs will be in place for children transitioning from an EHC plan before they move to the new system. This will mean there is no break in support.

  Find out more about key information and proposed reforms here.

  We will provide updates on any changes here and via our social media channels. We will also be looking at other ways to gauge parent views on the proposed changes and welcome expressions of interest from families who would like to engage and share feedback with us.

  Helpful documents and links 

  A document to explain the documents that sit alongside the white paper.

  A series of online events to help different audiences get to grips with the SEND reform government consultation, run by The Council for Disabled Children (CDC) 

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