Education Secretary, Bridget Phillipson yesterday announced in a speech that “Now is the time for bold reform,” for SEND. More reform, while the current “reforms” are not yet implemented. Yes, more uncertainty, more change, that’s exactly what disabled children need right now. But what is the alternative for a new government faced with the disaster area of special educational needs provision?
Ms Phillipson cited the recent NAO report as she identified the current system as neglected to the point of crisis, skewed too far towards specialist provision, and failing families on every measure. She’s not wrong. But systems do not operate by themselves—what she means is children have been neglected by people—council officials and leaders who make deliberate decisions on where money is spent and school leaders who decide the kind of school they want to run.
It is undeniable that the current system isn’t working. But that’s not because the legal framework isn’t good. It’s because LAs don’t follow the rules as they’ve been so starved of cash they have turned parents into demons and see disabled children as a drain on their finances. It’s because school leaders feel forced to chase league tables and Ofsted grades or decide that zero-tolerance discipline is everything, or make it gently known that another school may be better for little Johnny and his inconvenient ADHD.
Fewer children in specialist provision is the goal
“And let me be clear: the direction of that reform is inclusive mainstream.“ Ms Phillipson said, something that will have a mixed reception from parents of disabled children.
It’s true, many children who end up in specialist provision may well have been able to stay in mainstream with the right support early enough. However, you cannot simply wave a magic wand and an inclusive mainstream happens—and what she is seeking doesn’t even start with SEND provision. It starts with teacher training, sufficient SEND resources in mainstream and easier access to outreach and specialists such as speech and language and educational psychologists. And that needs to be at an early enough stage to change the trajectory that currently awaits those children who now eventually end up in special shools.
Nevertheless, with everyone in mainstream, it’ll be noisy, busy, large. That’s not good for many autistic children— it won’t be long before they find they’re in need of the small classes and individual teaching only available in special. But wait…
When Ms P says mainstream inclusion… what does she mean? It seems she is talking about it in the broadest terms – it’s mainstream with resourced provision or units.
“I have been really encouraged to see some great examples of mainstream schools delivering specialist provision and showing what is possible – including through the use of SEN Units and Resourced Provision. I recently visited an autism provision at Mount Pleasant primary school in Darlington and saw the fantastic work that they, and increasing numbers of schools and colleges, do to include children with SEND in mainstream classes, while also providing the specialist support their children and young people need to thrive. We will encourage more schools to set up this form of provision. Taking what works and applying it in mainstream schools.”
Bridget Phillipson
This 2023 research shows there is no standard model for resourced provision, so we’d like to see them produce well-evidenced reasoning for how well units and RP work for different types of needs before they rush to implement this “next big idea”.
The danger inherent to pinning all their hopes on resource bases and units is that children put there have a wide variety of needs—and this can be very difficult to support in one space. And how “included” are these “kids from the unit”? Is it simply segregation within a mainstream school? Do they get the same teaching expertise as the rest of the school? Do they get access to all the school’s facilities? Are aspirations as high for them as for other pupils? If this is to be the destination for a new generation of children with SEND, it cannot be used as a dumping ground to get the tricky kids out of the way.
We will have a more in-depth article soon on resourced provision and units, so sign up to post alerts so you don’t miss it.
Early intervention
Ms Phillipson does recognise the importance of acting early, but given the state of public finances, if this is what Labour really wants, it’s going to have to put its money where its mouth is.
“Early intervention is vital – so there’s increased training for early years providers to identify and support children sooner. We’re making progress to support the workforce in mainstream to increase SEND expertise, including through changes to initial teacher training. We will strengthen accountability on mainstream schools to be inclusive, including through Ofsted inspections.”
Bridget Philippson
This isn’t new – it’s what we and the rest of the SEND sector have been saying since… forever. So how come it seems so hard to get it done? How will they make sure that early years, school and FE staff all access this training unless it’s made compulsory in teacher training and in continuing professional development (CPD)?
The Curriculum and Assessment Review
The government is pinning a lot on its extremely complex Curriculum and Assessment Review (open until the end of the month) that, “will look at the barriers which hold back those with SEND.”
Dame Christine Lenehan, the retired former head of the Council for Disabled Children, has been appointed as the government’s strategic advisor on SEND. She will be tasked with “…convening and engaging the sector, including leaders, practitioners, children and families, as we consider next steps for the future of SEND reform.“
Bridget Phillipson also announced they are “bringing together leading neurodiversity experts – including those with lived experience – to work closely with my department. They’ll help us to understand how to improve inclusivity and expertise in mainstream, in a way that works for neurodivergent children and young people. And they’ll work closely with the NHS England ADHD taskforce.”
Dear Bridget—here I am, an autistic parent of neurodivergent children with a long track record of working in the SEND sector. I shall be waiting with breath bated by the phone for your call…
“We have to get it right”
“We have to get this right. A comprehensive system of support from birth to age 25. The key to delivering all this, achieving and thriving for all our children, is collaboration. I know you agree.”
Bridget Phillipson
We do indeed agree. But it’s making it happen that’s hard, particularly when it comes to supporting health needs when health too often seems reluctant to come to the table.
But the work of an inclusive school is much easier with an inclusive curriculum at the heart of education. We all know the phrase: what works for children with SEND works for all children. Therefore that must be the starting point, especially as the number of children with some form of additional need seems to be growing exponentially. SEND cannot be an “add-on”—particularly as many children “without SEND” may simply have been missed (as we see in those in AP or the youth justice system.)
There is no mention that a programme of SEND Improvement, started by the last government is already underway, or what will happen to it. We believe this government is planning to look at the Safety Valve and Delivering Better Value programmes, but what about the other aspects of the Change Programme, such as the local inclusion boards, the national standards, “strengthened” mediation and all that jazz…
Reducing EHCPs is a by-product, not a goal
It’s fundamental that if you want to “organically reduce” EHCPs and keep more children in mainstream, then the very first thing you need to do is vastly increase—and ring-fence—funding at SEN Support. You won’t keep children in mainstream if schools don’t have the resources to support them, as well as expert staffing.
To her credit, Ms Phillipson seems to understand that schools only interested in results are rarely inclusive but, “if we fall into that trap of chasing a narrow shade of standards, structures-driven rather than child-focused, then children with SEND get swept to the side, and attendance crashes.”
Unfortunately, these schools won’t change their ways unless they are incentivised to do so. Putting wellbeing and belonging at the core so all children can, as she says, “achieve and thrive” means changing what schools value—and the external pressures that come from government and Ofsted. So this speech, and Ofsted taking note of inclusive schools and ending single headline grades are good early steps.
Most of all we, as a society, need to decide what we value. It’s clear that some sections of the press do not, at all, value disabled children or their families. And, as we’ve seen across the pond this week, an under-educated populace with a “me first” mentality will rarely value the common good. Investment in education is investing in everyone’s future and an education system that values kindness, empathy, thoughtfulness, critical thinking and differentness, is as central as good academics.
We hope you will respond to the Curriculum and Assessment Review (we hope to have more on this soon—and see the easy-read version we have added to our article), and we hope that its outcome really will seek to put every child, whatever their ability, at the heart of a new future for education.
Also read:
- Delivering better value in SEND? Much of a new review is based on deep and fatal flaws that may uproot the SEND system
- “Lack of stigma” blamed for rising SEND? We will NEVER be ashamed of our disabled children
- NAO: The Government has no clear SEND plan and should consider “whole-system reform” to incentivise mainstream inclusion
- Law Commission Review: Fixing a ‘bafflingly complex’ disabled children’s social care system
- A record rise in SEND appeals, and challenges for teachers accessing school support. Things are not getting better…
- Should we ‘mind the gap’ of disabled pupils’ attainment? Or is it really an indictment of how success is measured?
- “The curriculum belongs to the nation” Let them know that includes children with special educational needs
- The Ofsted changes are bad news for SEND accountability
- Does the SEND Safety Valve scheme have a future under the Labour Government? And if so, who’s next?
- The SEND “Emergency” debate: scrap safety valve, write-off high needs debt and stop piling trauma on to families
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She is a rare disease & chronic pain patient advocate with Ehlers Danlos syndrome.
- The Unacceptable Truth: 20 SEND legal rights at risk from the Government’s SEND reforms - September 9, 2026
- Dear Secretary of State for Education, Lucy Powell: an Open Letter from Special Needs Jungle and SEND legal charity SOS!SEN - August 4, 2026
- Research: Disabled young people define inclusive education as “learning in the place that’s right for them” - July 30, 2026
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