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England Sets 2035 Shift in SEND Support, Reserving EHCPs for Most Complex Needs

Ministers frame the package as creating funded early help below statutory plans.

Overview

  • The White Paper introduces Individual Support Plans for most children with SEND, keeping EHCPs only for the most complex cases by 2035.
  • The government pledges £4 billion for mainstream SEND over three years, including a £1.6 billion Inclusive Mainstream Fund for early interventions.
  • A new £1.8 billion Experts at Hand service would give schools on‑demand specialist advice, with multi‑agency teams bringing therapies into education settings.
  • Existing EHCP entitlements will not change before at least September 2030, with pupils in special schools in September 2029 allowed to remain there through their education.
  • A Worcestershire parent campaigner warns of reduced legal rights and weaker tribunal powers, as the county’s SEND partnership reviews the reforms’ implications.