The Government is urged to create a new statutory category for support in schools aimed at young individuals with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), according to a recent report. This recommendation comes from a SEND taskforce established by the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR).
The taskforce suggests implementing a new framework for additional learning support within schools and proposes an overhaul of existing education, health, and care plans (EHCPs). These plans would be managed by local authorities to address the most complex needs of students. The taskforce emphasizes that current EHCPs, which are vital legal documents detailing necessary support for students with SEND, should remain in place until families receive “significantly better support” through substantial reforms.
This recommendation follows the Government”s announcement on Wednesday that it would postpone the release of its Schools White Paper, which includes reforms related to SEND, until early next year. Geoff Barton, former general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) and chair of the IPPR”s inclusion taskforce, remarked that the establishment of a statutory category for support provides “important reassurance for parents.”
Concerns have arisen over the potential reduction of EHCPs under the proposed reforms. However, education minister Georgia Gould has assured that there will always be a legal entitlement to additional support for young individuals with SEND. Barton noted that while successful reforms might eventually lead to a decrease in the number of EHCPs issued, those already granted would not be taken away. “Instead, you start thinking about what are the alternative routes?” he explained.
The recommended statutory additional learning support aims to identify barriers to learning as early as possible in a child”s life, focusing on local solutions. Barton highlighted that for a significant portion of children with SEND, speech and language issues are key barriers. He proposed that local expertise in speech and language therapy could be utilized to provide support more promptly, alleviating the wait time that parents currently face for an EHCP.
The taskforce emphasizes that any reforms must be accompanied by increased government investment in early intervention, including additional funding for schools to hire SEND professionals and improve teacher training. Margaret Mulholland, a SEND and inclusion specialist at ASCL, pointed out that addressing “insufficient core funding” in schools is vital for the success of any new SEND framework. She cautioned that the role of EHCPs in this new landscape must be handled carefully, as families view these plans as a legal assurance of support for their children.
The IPPR established the inclusion taskforce in the summer to address the crisis within the SEND system. Research revealed that one in 14 young individuals waited over a year to receive an EHCP in 2024, while local authorities saw a 250% increase in EHCP assessments from 2013 to 2024. Last year, only 46.4% of EHCPs were issued within the legal timeframe of 20 weeks.
In places like Leeds, more than half of young people (57.2%) waited over a year for their EHCPs in 2024. A spokesperson for Leeds City Council stated that efforts are ongoing to reduce assessment times, with a 117% increase in EHCPs completed in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the previous year.
In other regions such as Kirklees and Leicestershire, significant proportions of plans were also issued after more than a year. A spokesperson from Leicestershire County Council reported that additional resources have cut the average processing time to 24 weeks, with continuous efforts to improve this further. Similarly, Kirklees Council has doubled the number of EHCPs issued within the 20-week timeframe, exceeding the national average.
Despite these advancements, at least one in five young individuals faced delays of over a year for their EHCPs in 14 other councils last year. However, in 86 out of 150 local authorities, only 1% or fewer young people experienced such delays. The rise in demand for SEND services is believed to be influenced by factors such as poverty, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, and reductions in support services.
Barton emphasized that any reforms require comprehensive planning to establish details and build cross-party support, highlighting the importance of the Government providing a timeline for implementation. Baroness Morgan, a member of the IPPR inclusion taskforce and former education secretary, stated, “Tinkering around the edges of the system will not be enough to give all children, especially those with additional needs, an excellent education.”
A spokesperson from the Department for Education acknowledged the current situation as unacceptable, stating that parents should not have to “fight for every scrap of support.” They mentioned that initiatives are underway to ensure that support is routinely available at the earliest stages, which includes enhanced training for teachers, a funding allocation of £740 million to create more specialist school placements, early intervention for speech and language needs, and embedding SEND leads in Best Start Family Hubs across all local areas.
