A major re-think of the SEND system

While the Schools White Paper is yet to be published, we examine the steps the government has already taken to reform the SEND system – from saying it will take on long-term funding risk, to investing in early intervention, local provision and enabling closer collaboration with health services

Rising demand for support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) has undoubtably placed strain on both education budgets and local authority finances. 

Over the past decade, real-terms council spending on SEND provision has increased dramatically, rising by around two-thirds between 2015–16 and 2024–25, according to the Institute of Fiscal Studies. In the current financial year alone, spending is forecast to rise by a further 13 per cent in real terms. These pressures have exposed deep structural weaknesses in how SEND is funded and delivered, prompting the government to embark on what it describes as a fundamental reform of the system.

A pivotal shift was announced in the 2025 Budget, when the government confirmed that from 2028–29 it will meet the full cost of SEND provision directly from departmental spending budgets. This represents a significant transfer of financial risk away from local councils, which have long struggled to manage rising demand within constrained budgets. By taking responsibility for any gap between planned funding and actual spending, central government is acknowledging that SEND pressures are a national issue.

The Institute for Fiscal Studies has described the move as logical, arguing that while some councils have been more successful than others in controlling costs, only central government has the levers required to reform the system as a whole. Shifting the risk sharpens incentives for more realistic budgeting and creates greater pressure for reforms that might slow the growth in spending, rather than simply managing its consequences.

Alongside this, SEND spending will now be subject to official forecasts from the Office for Budget Responsibility. Until now, public understanding of future SEND costs relied on estimates from bodies such as the IFS, the County Councils Network and historic government forecasts referenced by the National Audit Office. The introduction of OBR forecasts marks an important step forward in transparency, making the scale of the challenge clearer and harder to ignore when future budgets are set.

Concerns that rising SEND costs might be met by diverting funding from the core schools budget have also been addressed. The Department for Education has confirmed that this will not be the case, stating that the Treasury will absorb the costs across the wider government budget. Decisions on funding allocations will be taken at the next Spending Review, due to take place in 2027.

Beyond funding reform, the government has made clear that changes to the SEND system will be underpinned by a renewed focus on early identification and intervention. Ministers have said future reforms will aim to make support early, local, fair and effective, although full details are expected in the long-awaited Schools White Paper – which is due to come out in early 2026.

Early identification 

Early identification is widely recognised as one of the most effective ways to improve outcomes for children with SEND. Identifying needs early allows schools and services to put timely support in place, reduce barriers to learning and prevent difficulties from escalating. It can also improve long-term educational and life outcomes, strengthen wellbeing and reduce the risk of later mental health challenges.

As part of this approach, the government has announced £3.4 million in funding for the Early Language Support for Every Child (ELSEC) programme, which is expected to benefit up to 20,000 additional children. The programme deploys specialist teams across primary schools and early years settings to help identify and address speech and language needs, particularly among children with SEND. The Education Committee has recently called for ELSEC, alongside the Nuffield Early Language Intervention programme, to receive sufficient funding to enable universal rollout across England.

Support for the early identification of SEND is also being embedded into the government’s plans for Best Start Family Hubs, which are due to be rolled out in every local authority next year. Each hub will include a dedicated SEND practitioner, providing direct, family-facing support and helping to identify needs earlier, before problems become entrenched.

Local provision

Alongside early intervention, the government is placing renewed emphasis on strengthening local provision. An aim of its Plan for Change is to ensure that children and young people with SEND can attend a school close to home and learn alongside their peers wherever possible. 

At least £3 billion has been announced to create tens of thousands of new specialist SEND places within mainstream schools. This investment will support the expansion of calm, specialist learning spaces equipped to meet a range of needs, while enabling pupils to join mainstream classes for parts of the school day where appropriate. The intention is to reduce long journeys to distant specialist settings and limit reliance on costly transport, which currently supports more than 180,000 pupils with SEND, including many travelling alone by taxi.

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has framed these changes as the foundations of a more inclusive system. She has said the £3 billion investment will open up opportunities for tens of thousands of children with SEND to learn, belong and succeed within their own communities. “This government will fix the broken education system for children and young people with SEND by making sure that their local school is also the right school. Ahead our reforms, we’re laying the foundations of a new system that shifts children with SEND from forgotten to included and earns the confidence of parents,” Phillipson explained.

A problem shared

Crucially, ministers have also acknowledged that SEND cannot be addressed by education alone. Effective reform depends on education, health and care services working together, alongside local government, families and the voluntary sector. An Education Committee report has highlighted longstanding concerns that SEND has not been given sufficient priority within the health system, with services often operating separately from education and playing too passive a role in joint working.

The committee has called for SEND to be treated as a priority across the NHS, with current health system restructuring used as an opportunity to strengthen accountability and collaboration. Integrated Care Boards, it argues, must be fully engaged in local SEND systems, with clearer responsibilities for joint planning and delivery, stronger senior leadership for SEND, and appropriate financial contributions to meet statutory duties and provide timely access to therapies and assessments.

Taken together, the government says these measures mark the beginning of a long-term reset. It points to early progress in creating new specialist places in mainstream schools, expanding teacher training, strengthening early speech and language support and embedding SEND professionals in Family Hubs nationwide. While many details are still to come, the government has acknowledged that the system needs to change.