Children with SEND are to have their right to an EHCP reviewed as they move from primary to secondary school, the latest leaked White Paper proposals suggest.
The legal rights afforded under EHCPs will be reassessed after primary from 2029 under a wider overhaul of the SEND system, which is expected to be announced imminently.
Instead, their rights to specialist provision will be set in Individual Support Plans (ISP) which will be administered and decided on by schools.
Most EHCPs are awarded when children are in primary school, and the stipulations they contain follow them into secondary and beyond.
What is now being proposed is that they will be only given to children with the most complex needs, which may exclude those with conditions such as autism and ADHD.
There are likely to be three tiers of higher support, but details are yet to be announced.
The ISPs will fall into three categories ‘targeted’, ‘targeted plus’ and ‘specialist’ with schools deciding on what that provision should look like.
An expansion of children’s rights?
The new arrangements are scheduled to be introduced from the 2029-30 academic year when those with existing EHCPs will have their needs reassessed as they move from primary to secondary, or secondary to post-16.
The proposals are bound to cause controversy, with some SEND campaigners and support groups already threatening to fight the reforms.
A Department for Education spokesperson said ministers would set out their full plans “shortly”, and that the new Schools White Paper would provide “an expansion of children’s rights” and build on the work being done to create a “truly inclusive system”.
The type of support that can be provided for in an EHCP varies depending on each child’s needs and can include things like speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, access to mental health services, or one-on-one time with a teaching assistant.
The changes signal the government’s intention for more SEND children to have their needs met in mainstream schools.
Potential for a better system
Pepe Di’Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “From what we understand of the plans they do have the potential to deliver a better system where children’s needs are identified earlier, and more are supported closer to home in mainstream settings.
“However, it will be essential that all schools have the resources they need to deliver this provision – the investment in staffing and swift access to specialist support that is required.
“There is a great deal of detail to be worked through, and it is essential that parents and schools have confidence in what is planned.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union, NAHT, said the plans “have the potential to ensure that children get the education they deserve and to lift some of the pressure currently experienced by schools and families.
“As ever, the devil will be in the detail of how they will be resourced, managed and supported.”
SEND organisations and charities have been contacted for comment.
