The UK school SEND framework is currently undergoing a massive structural overhaul following the White Paper "Every Child Achieving and Thriving" released on February 23, 2026.
The new framework moves away from a "diagnosis-led" system toward an "inclusion-first" model, designed to provide support as soon as a need is identified.
The Three-Tier Support Structure.
- Tier 1: Universal Inclusion (Mainstream): Every mainstream school is now required to have "inclusive by design" classrooms. This includes mandatory SEND training for all staff and the establishment of Inclusion Bases in secondary schools for small-group work.
- Tier 2: Individual Support Plans (ISPs): A new legal tool managed directly by schools. Unlike the old system, ISPs provide immediate legal protection and funding for interventions (like speech therapy) without waiting months for a formal Local Authority assessment.
- Tier 3: Specialist Provision: For children with the most complex needs, the government is creating 60,000 new places in special schools or specialized units within mainstream settings, supported by a £3.7 billion capital investment.
2. Expert Access ("Experts at Hand").
The framework addresses the shortage of specialists by creating regional hubs of educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, and OTs. Schools no longer have to source these individually; they are assigned "specialist days" (averaging 160 days per year for secondary schools) funded by the new £1.8 billion expert advice service.
Accountability & Digital Tracking.
Digital SEND Passports: Each student with an ISP or EHCP will have a digital record that follows them if they change schools, ensuring support isn't "lost" during transitions.
- Ofsted Inspections: New inspection frameworks prioritize Inclusion Standards, meaning schools cannot be rated "Outstanding" if their SEND provision is failing.
- National Standards: For the first time, there is a National SEND & Alternative Provision Excellence Roadmap that sets uniform expectations for what every school must provide.
4. Financial Framework.
The government is stabilizing the framework by paying off 90% of Local Authority SEND deficits and providing a £1.6 billion Mainstream Inclusion Fund directly to schools to bypass council bureaucracy.
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