The publication of ‘SEND reform: putting children and young people first’ (DfE, 2026) marks a significant restructuring of Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) provision in England since 2014. The consultation proposes a strengthened Universal offer, new Targeted and Targeted Plus layers of support, nationally defined Specialist Provision Packages, and the reassessment of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) at key transition points from 2029. These proposals are accompanied by substantial financial investment and revised national standards.
There is clear recognition that the current system is under strain. Families frequently describe lengthy and adversarial processes, schools report capacity challenges, and national reviews have identified inconsistency in provision and growing financial pressures (House of Commons Education Committee, 2019; National Audit Office, 2024; National Audit Office, 2019). Reform is necessary, but the question is how it reshapes both support and rights in practice. These reforms will operate within a wider education system shaped by accountability pressures, funding structures and organisational arrangements, all of which influence how inclusive practice is implemented in everyday settings.
At the centre of the proposals is a three-tier structure ‘Targeted, Targeted Plus and Specialist’. Graduated models can offer flexibility, but categorisation in SEND has long been ethically and pedagogically complex. As Tomlinson (2019) reminds us, special educational categories are shaped by institutional definitions of “normality” and can obscure the diversity and complexity of children’s needs, which rarely fit neatly into static classifications. When statutory entitlement becomes linked to nationally defined Specialist Provision Packages, the operation of thresholds becomes crucial. The issue is not whether tiers exist, but how responsive and adaptable they are to individual developmental pathways.
The planned review of EHCPs at transition points, such as the move from primary to secondary school, also requires careful reflection. Research consistently shows that transitions are periods of heightened vulnerability for pupils with SEND (Harris and Nowland, 2020). Review mechanisms may promote appropriate placement, but they must be balanced with the need for continuity and stability. For many families, predictability in support is as important as flexibility.
It is also important to situate EHCP growth within its wider context. As mainstream school budgets tightened over the past decade, EHCPs increasingly became a mechanism through which schools secured the resources required to meet significant needs. In this sense, identification often reflected access to provision. If reform aims to reduce reliance on statutory plans by strengthening mainstream capacity, sustained investment in professional expertise will be central.
Workforce development is therefore pivotal. National training initiatives and expanded access to specialist services are welcome commitments. However, inclusive practice depends not only on procedural compliance, but on deep professional knowledge, reflective judgement and strategic leadership. The role of the SENCO remains critical in shaping whole-school approaches to inclusion rather than managing individual cases in isolation. Sustained improvement will depend on meaningful collaboration across schools, local authorities and higher education institutions, where research-informed practice and professional learning can be developed collectively rather than in isolation.
Ultimately, the success of these reforms will depend on how they are enacted in practice: how thresholds are interpreted, how transitions are supported and how professional expertise is nurtured. For those studying or planning to study education and SEND, this moment provides a powerful reminder that policy design, research evidence, professional preparation and classroom realities are deeply interconnected. Understanding those relationships and critically engaging with them is central to improving outcomes for children and young people.
References
Department for Education (2026) SEND reform: putting children and young people first – Part Two: new Targeted and Targeted Plus support that is written into law. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-first/
Harris, J. and Nowland, R. (2020) ‘Primary-secondary school transition: Impacts and opportunities for adjustment’, Journal of Education & Social Sciences, 8(2), pp. 55–69.
House of Commons Education Committee (2019) Special educational needs and disabilities: First Report of Session 2019–20. HC 20. London: House of Commons. Available at: https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201919/cmselect/cmeduc/20/20.pdf
National Audit Office (2019) Support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities in England. HC 2636. London:
National Audit Office. Available at: https://www.nao.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Support-for-pupils-with-special-education-needs.pdf
National Audit Office (2024) Support for children and young people with special educational needs. HC 299. London: National Audit Office. Available at: https://www.nao.org.uk/reports/support-for-children-and-young-people-with-special-educational-needs/
Tomlinson, S. (2019) ‘A sociology of special and inclusive education’, in Schuelka, M.J., Johnstone, C.J. and Thomas, G. (eds.) The SAGE Handbook of Inclusion and Diversity in Education. London: SAGE Publications Ltd, pp. 16–27.
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