Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has unveiled sweeping reforms to special educational needs and disabilities (Send) provision in England, aiming to reduce reliance on cash-strapped councils. The proposals, outlined in a white paper, will see hundreds of thousands fewer students receiving Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) than currently projected.
Instead, millions of pupils will receive Individual Support Plans (ISPs), agreed between parents and schools but lacking independent legal appeal. The changes target the rapid rise in Send spending, which has left councils facing a projected £6bn deficit within two years. However, spending is not expected to fall below current levels for nearly a decade.
While local authorities welcomed the overhaul, the NASUWT teaching union criticised it, warning of increased pressure on teachers. Labour MPs, including education select committee chair Helen Hayes, expressed caution, demanding guarantees that children's rights would not be eroded. Hayes stated: 'Parents of children with Send are already living with unbearable anxiety... They will need reassurance that the changes will still mean their child will receive the right support.'
Former Conservative minister Iain Duncan Smith highlighted parents' fears, saying: 'I have talked to parents and they are petrified... very, very worried that they will somehow not get it or that they will lose the EHCP they have had to battle for.' Liberal Democrat MP Caroline Voaden questioned how mainstream schools would become more inclusive without a serious increase in teaching assistants.
Labour backbencher Jen Craft, parent of a disabled child with an EHCP, called the announcement a 'true reflection' of engagement with parents but stressed the need for clarity on accountability. Phillipson promised further detail on strengthening schools' legal duty to make reasonable adjustments. The reforms aim to curb the school absence crisis among autistic children, but critics warn they may exacerbate it by limiting legal protections.
