27/02/2026
Schools White Paper 2026: What Parents and Carers Need to Know
The Government has now published its new Schools White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, which includes proposals to improve support for children and young people with SEND. As part of this, a public consultation has been launched on the SEND reforms set out in Putting Children and Young People First.
These are proposals only, which means nothing will change for your child right now. Your child’s EHCNA, EHCP, and all existing SEND provision and rights will remain the same. The consultation simply invites families and professionals to comment before anything is decided.
The proposals look at possible future changes to:
• how children’s needs are identified
• how support works in mainstream and specialist settings
• how education, health and care services coordinate
• accountability across the SEND system
When Would Any Changes Happen?
Not immediately. The Government has confirmed:
• reforms would be introduced gradually over several years
• no changes to EHCPs will begin before September 2030
• all current SEND rights continue as they are
Your child’s support remains unchanged throughout this period.
You can have your say by visiting:
👉 https://consult.education.gov.uk/send-strategy-division/send-reform-putting-children-and-young-people-firs/
You can view the supporting documents here:
👉 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-send-reforms-sheets
Your experience matters and this consultation is your chance to help shape the future of SEND support for children, young people and families across England.
A series of documents setting out the key information and proposed reforms in the schools white paper and SEND consultation document for parents and those working in the sector.
