I hope that you have all had an enjoyable summer and are now ready for the year ahead. This is going to be a very important year for those working in the SEND sector as the government’s Schools White Paper, due to be published this term, will contain the proposals for SEND Reform going forward.
In the mean time I have put together some of the updates you may have missed from the last four months.
Almost a million more pupils get access to mental health support – Press Release – 16th May
Almost one million more young people will have access to mental health support in school this year, as the government gets on with delivering its manifesto promise for a national rollout taking a huge step in fixing the inherited challenges facing our children.
Under government plans, all pupils will have access to mental health support in school by 2029/30, delivering on its Plan for Change to improve children’s life chances and tackle the root causes of poor attendance and behaviour.
The Education Blog on this topic can be found here.
Christine Lenhan – DfE SEND Adviser’s speech at the Academies and Schools Show.
The Adviser confirms that an EHCP shake-up is being considered as part of SEND reforms. You can read the article about her speech in Schools Week.
Pupil premium – Updated 9th June
This guidance contains information on pupil premium funding, how school leaders can use it effectively and pupil premium strategy statements. It has been updated with information for 2025 to 2026.
Pupils who are eligible for free school meals, or have been eligible in the past 6 years
- Primary £1,515 Secondary £1,075
Pupils previously looked after by a local authority or other state care
- Primary and Secondary £2,630
Children who are looked after by the local authority
- Primary and Secondary £2630
Pupils who attract the service pupil premium grant
- Primary and Secondary £350
A collection of guidance, support and policy documents for education providers on the use of technology and artificial intelligence (AI) in education.
Special educational needs in England: January 2025 – 12th June – Statistics
This document contains information from the school census on pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and SEN provision in schools.
Number of pupils identified as SEND
- SEN Support –14.2% – 1,284,284 – up by 3.7%
- Education, Health and Care Plan – 5.3% – 482,640 – up by 11.1% – one in 20 students
- Total school population – 19.5% – one fifth of school population
In primary, 18.2% have identified SEND – In secondary, 16.5% of pupils have identified SEND
The percentage of all pupils with an EHC plan who are in mainstream schools (state-funded primary and secondary) has increased from 54.4% to 56.2% in 2025
The primary need for those with an EHC plan is Autistic Spectrum Disorders and for those on SEN support, Speech, Language and Communication needs
43.8 % of pupils with an EHC plan and 39.3% of pupils with SEN support are eligible for free school meals
The Department for Education have confirmed that the SEND & AP Change Programme has been extended for a further 12-months to March 2026. The Reaching Excellence and Ambition for all Children (REACh) Consortium will continue to be the DfE’s delivery partner on the Change Programme, working alongside local areas and the DfE to test reforms and capture learning.
SEND: Government extends councils’ statutory override – TES Article – 20th June
The government has announced that it will extend the statutory override to keep councils’ spending deficits for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) off their books for another two years.
Thousands of children with SEND to benefit from assistive tech – Press Release – 27th June
The government has launched an innovative pilot with up to £1.7m available to help children with SEND achieve and thrive at their local school.
Backed by up to £1.7m, ‘lending libraries’ will be set up in up to 32 local authorities and will enable schools in the area to borrow and trial a range of devices to suit their pupils’ needs.
The lending libraries will be stocked with a range of tools, including reading pens to scan text and read it aloud, dictation tools which convert spoken word into text, and tablets which leverage images to help non-verbal pupils communicate.
The Council for Disabled Children (CDC), has published a new briefing in response to growing concerns from local areas about meeting the medical needs of children and young people in education.
The briefing addresses several issues highlighted in a recent article from Schools Week which focused on schools being forced to provide medical care for vulnerable pupils.
The writing framework – 8th July
This guidance contains the writing framework which outlines a common approach to teaching writing based on evidence and existing good practice.
This guidance for all primary school leaders and teaching staff, gives simple, practical advice about how to teach writing in reception, key stage 1, and key stage 2.
Schools should read the writing framework and, during academic year 2025 to 2026, use the audits to evaluate and plan improvements.
There will be a Writing framework information webinar for leaders on Tuesday 30 September 2025, at 4pm to 5pm, Register on Eventbrite.
Early years foundation stage (EYFS) statutory framework – Updated 26th August
There are 2 statutory EYFS frameworks:
- EYFS statutory framework for childminders
- EYFS statutory framework for group and school-based providers
Providers are responsible for ensuring they follow the current version of the framework for their provider type. The new versions of the EYFS frameworks came into force from 1 September 2025.
Relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education – Updated 15th July
This statutory guidance on relationships education, relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education has been updated and will come into force from 1st September 2026.
This is for reference to help schools prepare for introduction on 1st September 2026.
Keeping children safe in education – Updated 1st September
This statutory guidance for schools and colleges on safeguarding children and safer recruitment came into force on 1st September 2025.
Other documents of interest
Inclusion in Practice Report
Inclusion in Practice is a collaborative initiative supported by a range of sector partners committed to strengthening the educational experience of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Natspec – Key facts 2025: data and trends for SEND in FE
The latest key facts report examines data on EHCPs, growth trends, placement patterns, funding, and the outlook for specialist provision.
Cabinet Reshuffle
During the cabinet reshuffle on 5th and 6th September, the school’s minister Catherine Mckinnell was replaced by Georgia Gould MP – it was not immediately confirmed that she will be the new School’s Minister (which includes the SEND portfolio). This is a real concern in light of the much-anticipated Schools White Paper.
