The government has now published the full Every Child Achieving and Thriving white paper — outlining long-term reforms to schools and SEND support in England.
There has already been a lot of noise, headlines and social media reaction. So this post breaks down what we actually know, what hasn’t changed, and what SEND families should be paying attention to.
Let’s stay factual and calm.
What Is This White Paper?
A white paper sets out the government’s policy direction. It is not instant law. It outlines proposed reforms that will go through consultation, legislation and phased implementation.
This means nothing changes overnight.
But it does tell us where the system is heading.
The Big Themes in the Paper
1. Earlier Support in Mainstream Schools
The government wants more children with SEND supported effectively within mainstream settings — without automatically needing an EHCP.
There is a strong focus on:
- Earlier intervention
- Better trained staff
- More specialist services available locally
- Reducing adversarial processes
The goal is to make support more routine and less dependent on legal escalation.
2. Individual Support Plans (ISPs)
One of the biggest structural proposals is the introduction of Individual Support Plans for children with SEND in mainstream schools.
These would:
- Be formalised support plans
- Be legally required within schools
- Provide structured, personalised provision
- Sit below the EHCP threshold
EHCPs would still exist — but the emphasis shifts so that only children with more complex or long-term needs go through that route.
This is likely to be one of the most debated changes.
3. EHCPs Are Not Being Abolished
It’s important to be clear:
EHCPs are not being scrapped.
However, the intention appears to be:
- Tightening access
- Reserving EHCPs for the most complex cases
- Delivering more support earlier without formal plans
The key question parents will ask is:
Will new school-based plans have the same enforceability as an EHCP?
That detail will matter enormously.
4. Significant Funding Investment
The white paper confirms major investment in SEND reform, particularly focused on:
- Mainstream inclusion
- Specialist services
- Local authority delivery capacity
- Workforce development
This signals that reform is not just structural — it is also financial.
Whether that funding reaches frontline families consistently will be the real test.
5. Nothing Changes Today
This cannot be stressed enough.
Your current rights remain in place:
- EHCP legal protections still apply
- Tribunal routes still apply
- Section 19 duties still apply
- The Children and Families Act 2014 remains in force
Implementation will take years, not weeks.
What Should SEND Parents Be Watching Closely?
- How enforceable Individual Support Plans will be
- Whether EHCP eligibility thresholds change
- How accountability will work at local authority level
- Whether early intervention reduces the need for legal battles
- How transition protections will work for children already on plans
Should Parents Be Worried?
It depends on perspective.
If early intervention genuinely improves and schools are properly funded, some families may find support easier to access without needing a tribunal.
If eligibility tightens without strong enforceable alternatives, some families may feel pushed further from protection.
At this stage, the direction is clear — but the implementation details will determine the impact.
What Happens Next?
The white paper will move through:
- Consultation
- Draft legislation
- Parliamentary debate
- Phased roll-out
This will be a multi-year process.
There will be time to respond, challenge, and shape the detail.
Final Thought
The SEND system clearly needs reform. Families have been battling long waits, inconsistent provision, and adversarial processes for years.
The question now is not whether reform is coming — it is whether reform will strengthen protections or weaken them.
We will continue breaking this down in plain English over the coming weeks.
If you’re a SEND parent, what is your biggest concern about the proposed changes?
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