SEND funding to make schools more inclusive, ministers say

The government announced £1.6bn over three years for schools, early years settings and colleges and £1.8bn for specialist services as part of wider SEND reforms, with full plans due in the Schools White Paper on Monday.

The government has announced new funding intended to make mainstream schools in England more inclusive for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). The package includes direct allocations to schools and settings and separate funding to increase access to specialist staff. The announcement forms part of a broader SEND system overhaul, with full details to be published in the Schools White Paper. Reactions from unions and charities were mixed, with some welcoming the focus on inclusion and others raising concerns about sufficiency. Known details: - The government said £1.6bn over three years will go directly to schools, early years settings and colleges. - A further £1.8bn over the same period is intended to expand access to specialists such as specialist teachers and speech and language therapists. - The plan includes £200m aimed at training to increase the number of teachers qualified to support pupils with SEND. - Reports leaked ahead of the White Paper included proposals to reassess education, health and care plans (EHCPs) after primary school and again after GCSEs; children in Year 6 in 2029 would be the first to be reviewed under that timetable. - Currently, just over 480,000 of the 1.7 million pupils identified with SEND in England have EHCPs, the announcement noted. Summary: The funding and proposed changes are presented as part of a wide reform of the SEND system and will affect how support is organised in mainstream settings. Unions and campaign groups have raised questions about whether the money is sufficient while some charities welcomed commitments to early identification and training. Full details of the government's reforms will be set out in the Schools White Paper on Monday, which will clarify implementation timelines and operational arrangements.