Government Delays SEND Reforms Until 2026

The government has postponed long-awaited reforms to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system in England, pushing the publication of its Schools White Paper into early next year. Originally due this autumn, the delay comes as Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said ministers wanted more time for what she called a “further period of co-creation, testing our proposals with the people who matter most in this reform.”

In a letter to Commons education committee chair Helen Hayes, Phillipson said the department would host “listening sessions in every region of the country” and hold “fortnightly ministerial meetings with key parent and expert groups.” The aim, she said, is to make sure “high standards and inclusion are two sides of the same coin.”

The reforms are expected to overhaul how SEND funding works and address the soaring number of children with conditions such as autism and ADHD, as well as the strain this has placed on local authorities.

The decision to delay was met with anger and disappointment from campaigners and councils alike. Anna Bird, from the Disabled Children’s Partnership, said the move was “deeply frustrating for parents who need an end to the uncertainty swirling around Send”, but added it was right that the government “takes time to make the right decisions.”

Cllr Bill Revans, SEND spokesperson for the County Councils Network, said the system was “in crisis” and warned that local authorities could be facing a £6bn deficit by next March. “Time is of the essence – so this delay is massively disappointing,” he said. “Anything other than root and branch reform will place councils in a vicious cycle of overspending and worsening services for families.”

Parents have also expressed fears that the government could limit access to Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) — the legally binding documents outlining a child’s extra support needs.

Tom Rees, who chairs the government’s expert advisory group on SEND, defended the delay, calling it “both the most important and the most complex policy area in education today.” He said: “Reform of this scale can’t be rushed, and I welcome the additional time so that both the expert advisory group and the government can continue to listen, develop and test ideas.”

Opposition figures accused the government of stalling. Caroline Voaden, the Liberal Democrat schools spokesperson, called the delay “an absolute betrayal of every child with special educational needs and disabilities and their families.” She said: “Parents are worn out by fighting a broken system, children are waiting months or even years for vital support, and local authority budgets are at breaking point.”

Hayes, however, said she was pleased the government was “taking the time to properly engage with families and stakeholders.” She added it was “vital that children and families’ voices are at the heart of the white paper.”

The delay also follows a recent reshuffle, with Georgia Gould appointed as the new minister responsible for SEND.