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UK SEND reform plans may risk overwhelming Sendcos
Experts warn of bureaucratic monster for schools
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By Peter Clark (Senior Editor, Autism Info Center) Friday 6th March 2026 |
While the government's new SEND plans aim to expand rights, education experts are raising alarms that the proposed individual support plans (ISPs) could overwhelm Special Educational Needs Coordinators (Sendcos).
Under the reforms, schools will have a statutory duty to create and monitor these plans for every pupil with additional needs, a move critics fear will significantly increase administrative burdens.
Richard Brennand, a Sendco in Lancashire, warned that the transition would be a "massive undertaking" requiring constant termly reviews.
There are also concerns that the mandatory nature of ISPs will heighten conflict.
Parents might face "new battles" with schools over whether a child is moved onto a plan, or turn to judicial reviews if they are unhappy with the support provided.
Legal experts suggest this could lead to a surge in formal complaints.
The NAHT school leaders' union cautioned that if ISPs become as complex as existing Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), they could turn into a "bureaucratic monster".
While the Department for Education argues that digitising these records will create consistency and ease the pressure, school leaders remain wary.
They stress that for the system to work, the burden must be shared across all teaching staff rather than falling solely on already stretched Sendcos.
Source: Tes Magazine (UK)
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/general/
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