The Schools White Paper and SEND reforms

The Schools White Paper sets out proposals for future reform; it does not immediately change SEND law. Your child’s legal rights to support remain in place.

In this article:

What is the Schools White Paper?

On Monday 23rd March 2026, the Government published its Schools White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, as well as a consultation on reforms to the SEND system,  SEND reform: putting children and young people first.

A White Paper is a policy document that outlines the Government’s plans for future legislation and reform. It is not a change in law.

The Schools White Paper sets out the Government’s proposals for education reform and SEND support in England, aiming to improve how schools help every child achieve and thrive.

What does Kids think?

We are working hard to fully read and summarise all the detail in the White Paper and the accompanying SEND reform consultation document. We will be publishing a summary of the key proposals soon. It is important that we take the time to fully understand all the proposals before we comment in more detail.

Katie Ghose, CEO of Kids, says:

The Schools White Paper ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ could transform childhood for disabled children and their families by giving every child the chance to go to a school where they can learn, make friends and achieve their potential. It is wrong that families have to fight for their children’s basic rights; the Government has recognised this with a promise of earlier, more flexible help.

The Secretary of State for Education has said that as a result of the reform, we will see an ‘expansion in children’s rights’, and a new legal duty on schools to produce an individual support plan to reach more children is very welcome. We champion stronger rights because they level the playing field, reduce the postcode lottery of support, and protect families whose voices too often go unheard.

However, we are very concerned about which children will in future be eligible for an EHCP. Children’s needs can fluctuate and EHCPs must remain open to any child whose needs cannot be met by an individual support plan.

We welcome the investment across all ages and stages of education – early years, schools and post‑16 – a crucial signal that real SEND reform must be about investing upfront, not cutting costs.

The focus on mainstream inclusion, earlier intervention and ‘Experts at Hand’ is encouraging, but these commitments must be backed by enforceable frameworks so every child can access specialist input, high‑quality teaching and family support.

We will continue to press for credible workforce plans, strong joint accountability across education, health and care, and firm safeguards to ensure children are properly supported, included, and have their rights respected in practice.

As the consultation starts, parents will be asking how the details will add up to a guarantee that things will be truly different for their disabled child at the school gates and beyond. That is why meaningful consultation matters. Government must hear from young people, families, and professionals, and take the time to design a system that works in practice.

What happens next?

Now the White Paper has been published, there is a 12-week consultation period, running until 18 May 2026, where parents, young people, schools, local authorities, and charities can share their views.

The Government then reviews the feedback, and proposals may be changed, delayed, or taken forward. Any measures that become law will go through further parliamentary steps – with more opportunities for feedback along the way.

The consultation documents have been published, and we will shortly be sharing further guidance on how you can respond and make your voice heard.

Kids’ vision for SEND reform

We have long called for a SEND system that works for rather than against disabled children and young people.

The Government’s Schools White Paper presents an important opportunity to regear the SEND system so that children and young people get the right support, at the right time, at every stage of their lives.

But meaningful reform requires joint accountability and funding for SEND provision, agreed principles of inclusion, SEND training and workforce development, and legal rights to early intervention.

You can read the full version of Our Vision for SEND reform here.

How has Kids been involved in shaping the White Paper?

We have amplified the voices of disabled children and young people, and their families, and created opportunities for them to share their lived experiences and perspective directly with MPs, civil servants and local Government officials.

Here are some examples:

• We met with Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, to highlight the challenges families face and the support they need.
• We facilitated an interactive workshop in Manchester where young people with SEND met with Schools Minister Georgia Gould to share their experiences, ideas, and hopes for change.
• The Minister for Early Education Olivia Bailey visited our Kids Basingstoke Nursery to hear directly about the children’s experiences, learn more about our vital Navigator support for families, and hear about funding issues affecting early years places for children with SEND.
• We welcomed Luke Murphy MP to our Basingstoke Nursery to launch his report on fixing the SEND crisis, featuring our nursery as a case study of best practice.
• Parents from our Wakefield Support Awareness Project met with Yvette Cooper MP & Foreign Secretary to share their experiences of the SEND system.
• We submitted evidence to the Education Select Committee’s inquiry into ‘Solving the SEND Crisis’ and many of our recommendations were included in the final report.
• As part of the Disabled Children’s Partnership, we contributed to the Fight for Ordinary campaign and report – setting out a vision of a society where disabled children and their families receive the support they need without having to fight for it.