Schools White Paper 2026 and SEND Reform Consultation
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Information for parents and carers.
The Government has recently published a Schools White Paper called Every Child Achieving and Thriving. Alongside this, a national consultation has been launched on proposed changes to the SEND system called Putting Children and Young People First.
These are proposals only, which means nothing is changing for children and young people with SEND right now.
Your child’s support, including SEND Support, Education, Health and Care needs assessments (EHCNAs) and Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), will continue to work in the same way as they do currently. The consultation simply invites families and professionals to share their views before any decisions are made.
When might anything change?
Any changes would happen gradually over a number of years.
The consultation information suggests that:
- assessments under any new system would begin from September 2029
- any changes to support provided through EHCPs would not take place before September 2030
For families, this means that your child’s current support and legal rights remain the same.
Have your say
Parents, carers, young people and professionals are invited to share their views as part of the national consultation.
The consultation opened on 23 February 2026 and will close on 18 May 2026.