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SEND changes to be rethought... Or just delayed?
And what does 'most complex needs' even mean?
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By Peter Clark (Senior Editor, Autism Info Center) Monday 27th October 2025 |
Following pressure from parent campaigns, the UK's Department for Education (DfE) has delayed its Schools (and SEND) White Paper until 2026.
The DfE stated this allows for "co-creation" with families, a move welcomed by campaigners who feared the dilution of disabled children's legal rights.
However a detailed, insightful article from Special Needs Jungle warns that this could be a delay tactic and not a genuine rethink.
A letter from the Education Secretary outlines five principles for reform (Early, Local, Fair, Effective, Shared) but the author criticises these as vague restatements of existing laws that are already poorly funded and enforced.
Crucially, the Education Secretary's letter gives no guarantee that individual rights, such as those in EHC Plans (EHCPs) will be protected.
The article also highlights the ambiguity around the term "most complex needs", which appears in both the DfE letter and a new IPPR report.
It fears this phrase will be used to restrict access to support.
The article concludes that the existing system needs to be properly funded and enforced, not simply replaced.
Source: Special Needs Jungle (UK)
https://www.specialneedsjungle.com/
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