The Schools White Paper explained (part 1): SEND, EHCP reform and inclusion

A decade-long plan for inclusion and opportunity 

The government’s recent White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, alongside the SEND Reform consultation: Putting Children and Young People First, sets out a series of reforms aimed at creating a culture of inclusion and aspiration underpinned by consistency and accountability at all levels.

These reforms aim to remove variation between local areas, delayed support and the increasing pressure on EHCPs. The government want to create a system that supports every child achieve academically and thrive. This will start from their early years until adulthood and as Bridget Phillipson stated in her speech this week ‘support will no longer stop and start at the school gates’.

As part of this decade-long plan, curriculum reforms will ensure all children receive a knowledge-rich education, which is broad and builds skills. Alongside this, enrichment will no longer be something out of reach for some children and young people but an entitlement all can access.

A move toward greater consistency

Both the White Paper and the SEND consultation emphasise the need for a more coherent national system. The government’s stated aims include:

• Clearer expectations for all educational settings
• Earlier identification of needs
• More consistent support across local areas
• Improved collaboration between education, health, and care services
• Reduced reliance on EHCPs as the primary route to support

The universal offer

A central feature of the reforms is around a universal offer, where pupils can be educated and have their needs met in the mainstream system.

All leaders will:

• Embed inclusion in their planning.
• Use evidence-based support and interventions
• Build a culture of safety and respect
• Develop strong partnerships
• Embed inclusive and calm environments

The Universal Offer refers to the support that all pupils should receive. At the heart of this offer is high quality-teaching, where the curriculum is designed and developed to engage all pupils, which in turn supports them to succeed.

. This offer includes:

• Adaptive teaching strategies
• Reasonable adjustments
• Access to pastoral and wellbeing support
• Staff trained to recognise emerging needs
• Whole‑school approaches to inclusion

Targeted support

This tier is designed for pupils who need more structured support than the Universal Offer provides. This may include: 

• Small‑group interventions, which are evidence-based and delivered in mainstream
• Targeted literacy or numeracy support
• Emotional regulation strategies
• Advice and guidance from the SENDCo

Targeted plus 

Targeted Plus is intended for pupils with more complex or persistent needs who require sustained, specialist involvement but may not need an EHCP. Support at this tier may include:

• regular input from external specialists (Speech and Language therapists, Educational Psychologists)
• structured, longer‑term interventions, which are more intensive
• adapted curriculum pathways

Specialist support

The Specialist Support tier will provide higher-level support for children and young people with complex needs. This will be done through specialist support packages, and they will form the basis of the EHCPs. These packages will be evidence-based, and they will outline specific interventions and resources. The specialist support packages will be developed and reviewed by and independent expert panel who will guide provision and eligibility for EHCPs. At this stage pupils could also access the new inclusion bases outlined in the White Paper or a specialist provision.

The government aims to make EHCPs more consistent nationally with a clearer package of support rather than the current and often vague provision outlined. As we know the EHCP process, particularly, can be challenging for all involved and the intention is to embed more transparent decision making and improve the experience for families navigating the system.

What will happen to current EHCPs?

Any child or young person will have their existing EHCP reviewed as they approach the end of their current phase of learning and/or once the new system is fully implemented.

Individual support plans

No matter what tier of support a pupil is accessing, education settings will have to develop in collaboration with parents/carers an Individual Support Plan (ISP). ISPs will outline:

• a pupil’s day-to-day provision
• the support required
• any reasonable adjustments
• the intended outcomes

The ISP will be a statutory digital document which provides responsive support quickly and effectively and will support continuity of support as pupils move through the education system. It will be reviewed at least annually and will form part of the Ofsted inspection focus.

The SEND Code of Practice

The SEND Code of Practice will be updated and the White Paper states there will be a stronger emphasis on evidenced-based support first with a commitment to inclusion. As part of the update the four broad areas of need will be refreshed and replaced with new areas of development. The SEND Code of Practice will also outline the requirement for all schools to train staff on SEND and inclusion. Furthermore, there will be guidance and training for teachers and leaders on understanding and identifying the barriers to learning and applying universal strategies.

The role of the SENCo

To support the SENCo in becoming the strategic role should be, the reforms outlined in the White Paper aim make this vital role less administrative. This will be done by providing clearer expectations, improved access to specialist support and developing digital processes.

Inclusion bases

The White Paper also outlines the use of inclusion bases within mainstream schools and settings. These bases will offer specialist support, and they aim to make inclusive support more widely available.

Experts at hand

The White Paper also outlines how funding will be deployed to support education settings in accessing health professionals more quickly. The government has also stated they intend to invest in growing the number of Educational Psychologists and Speech and Language Therapists.

Alternative provision

There are also plans to reform the role of Alternative Provisions where their expertise will be used to support children and young people who have SEND. The aim is for their support to be used more effectively across the education system, once again with a tiered approach:

1. Outreach work in mainstream settings with a focus on prevention
2. Providing limited time placements to assess and address the needs of the pupil
3. Longer term placements, where necessary with a focus on progression to the appropriate post-16 setting and/or employment pathway.

SEND funding

Throughout the White Paper the government has outlined where and what it will fund in a variety of ways but when considering inclusion, they are going to introduce an Inclusive Mainstream Fund for mainstream schools and other education settings in 2026/27. This will give these settings direct responsibility over their funding. This fund will allow them to develop targeted and evidence-based offers of support focusing on areas such as transition and group interventions. However, schools will now be required to publish an Inclusion strategy describing how the resources have been deployed to benefit their pupils. This is one area where we see the accountability discussed throughout the White Paper – schools will be accountable for how they use their inclusion funding.

Conclusion

As these reforms take shape, it is clear that the government is signalling a significant shift toward a more inclusive, consistent and accountable SEND system—one that aspires to meet needs earlier, reduce unnecessary variation and ensure every child is supported to flourish. The ambition is bold, but the true measure of success will lie in how effectively these proposals translate into everyday practice for schools, families and, most importantly, the children and young people at the heart of the system.

If implemented with care, collaboration and sustained investment, the reforms outlined in Every Child Achieving and Thriving have the potential to create an education landscape where inclusion is not an aspiration but a lived reality for all.