SEND reform: what to do while you wait

If your staffroom has gone quiet on SEND reform lately, you’re not alone. The consultation closed in May, the King’s Speech promised a bill, and since then? Not much. Parents are asking questions, governors are asking questions, and the honest answer is that nobody outside the DfE knows exactly what’s coming.

But waiting doesn’t mean standing still. Whatever the final shape of the reforms, some things are already clear, and the schools that use this window well will be in a much stronger position when the detail lands.

‍

Where things actually stand

Here’s the short version, as of October 2026:

• The proposals came out on 23 February in the Schools White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, alongside a SEND consultation.
• The consultation closed on 18 May. The government hasn’t published its response yet, and ministers are still saying “in due course”.
• The legislation was announced as the Education for All Bill in the King’s Speech on 13 May. That was a promise to legislate, not a bill. No date has been set for it to go before Parliament.
• Two follow-up consultations, on education otherwise than at school (EOTAS) and on upfront funding for mainstream schools, closed on 18 September.

Most importantly, the law hasn’t changed. The Children and Families Act 2014 still applies in full. EHCPs, needs assessments and tribunal appeals all carry on as normal, and anyone telling a family otherwise is wrong.

‍

What’s not going to change

The big unknowns are real: who qualifies for an EHCP in future, what the new Individual Support Plans (ISPs) will look like in practice, and what happens to tribunal rights. But the direction of travel is clear, and some things hold true whatever the final wording says.

The timeline is long. New law isn’t expected to take effect before September 2029. Existing EHCPs won’t change before at least September 2030, and then only at a child’s next transition point. The government has also promised a “triple lock” so that no child loses support already in place.

Evidence is going to matter more, not less. Every version of the reforms leans on reviews, transitions and decisions about which tier of support a child needs. Each of those decisions will rest on what a school can show about a child’s needs and progress. That’s true under the current system, and it will be even more true under the new one.

Small steps count. For many pupils in special schools, progress doesn’t show up in national curriculum levels. It shows up in communication, independence, regulation and engagement. Schools that already capture that well will find every review, every annual meeting and every conversation with the local authority much easier.

‍

Four things worth doing now

1. Get your story straight for parents. Families are anxious, and rumours travel fast. A short, calm note saying nothing has changed yet, what’s proposed, and when you’ll update them goes a long way. Your local parent carer forum is a good ally here.
   ‍
2. Look hard at how you evidence progress. Ask yourself whether you could show, quickly and clearly, how each pupil has moved on this year, including the small steps. If the answer lives in five spreadsheets and someone’s head, now’s the time to fix that.
   ‍
3. Know your local plan. Every local area had to submit a Local SEND Reform Plan to the DfE by June and year one funding started this September. Find out what your local authority committed to, because it will shape what lands on your desk first.
   ‍
4. Watch for the response, then read it properly. When the consultation response drops, the detail on EHCP eligibility, ISPs and tribunal rights will be the bits that matter for special schools. Skip the headlines and go straight to those sections.

‍

The bottom line

Reform is coming, but slowly, and the schools that do best will be the ones that already know their pupils inside out and can prove it. That’s what Earwig is built for. Special schools and SENCOs use it to capture every step of progress, including the small ones that matter most, and turn that into clear reports for parents, reviews and local authorities.

Want to see how it works? Book a short online demo or drop us a line at info@earwigacademic.com.

‍