Overview
- Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson is expected to publish a Schools White Paper on Monday setting out a tiered model in which only the highest-need pupils would receive or retain EHCPs, with a public consultation to follow.
- From around the 2029–30 academic year, existing support would be reassessed at key transitions such as the move to secondary school, with many children shifted to school-held Individual Support Plans that are said to have some legal standing but unclear appeal routes.
- Ministers have confirmed £200 million to train teachers and support staff, £3 billion for specialist places, and a plan to write off about 90% of councils’ SEND deficits, alongside proposals to restrain independent special school fees through national price bands or caps.
- The Department for Education says the changes expand children’s rights and will keep pupils in inclusive local settings, with assurances that no child will lose an existing special school place, while charities warn of diluted legal protections and funding pressures on mainstream schools.
- The debate intensifies as EHCPs have risen to roughly 639,000 up to age 25 and tribunals reportedly upheld 99% of appeals in 2023, with reports of potential Labour backbench resistance and Liberal Democrats urging tighter controls on private providers.