What the SEND White Paper means for your school
Over 1.6 million pupils in England have SEN. Last month, the Department for Education (DfE) launched Every Child Achieving and Thriving. It sets out major reforms to inclusion, SEND provision, and attainment. So what does that mean for your school?
The major reforms
SEND funding
Education leaders, governors and trustees have more control over how they assist students. From 2026–’27, a new £1.6 billion Inclusive Mainstream Fund, alongside existing budgets, gives leaders more flexibility to fund group interventions and transition programmes without waiting for formal assessments or diagnoses.
Earlier support
The Mainstream Fund helps schools identify and address needs earlier through adaptive teaching and calm classroom environments. It will also improve access to specialist support, with faster response times, reducing delays for interventions and assessments.
Individual support plans (ISPs)
Every student with additional needs has the right to an ISP, backed by the Inclusive Mainstream Fund. Nurseries and schools record and monitor SEND provision through these plans.
Experts at hand
A £1.8 billion fund creates a local bank of specialists, including speech and language therapists and SEND teachers. Schools can access them on demand, regardless of whether a learner has an EHCP.
SEND training
Responsibility for SEND no longer sits only with the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO). All teachers and staff receive training in evidence-based SEND practice, backed by a £200 million investment.
Inclusion bases
Secondary schools will have a dedicated inclusion base. These spaces assist pupils with SEND in mainstream settings. The government funds this through a £3.7 billion capital investment.
Where schools will feel the pressure
The reforms change school operations, staffing and culture. A ‘support first’ model reshapes workforce planning and recruitment. School leaders need to understand the policy and be able to deliver it.
Increased demand for specialist staff
Staff shortages limit schools’ ability to deliver inclusive education. The lack of teaching assistants (TAs), SEN specialists and teachers increases pressure on existing teachers.
The ‘experts at hand’ service relies on a large pool of local professionals, including SEND educators. Schools may struggle to access these roles when needed, as competition for specialist professionals increases.
Workload
School leaders spend significant time on administration, which limits teaching and learning. Workload remains a key reason teachers leave the profession. New curriculum expectations and SEND reforms add further pressure. Schools must implement changes without increasing strain on staff.
Mandatory SEND training
Schools must find the time and resources to facilitate staff upskilling. This isn’t only about compliance; it affects the quality of support students receive. Schools must plan how to deliver training without taking teachers away from classrooms. From a recruitment perspective, having staff who are already trained or confident in SEND approaches makes a difference, reducing gaps in provision and helping schools meet the white paper’s goals.
Staffing inclusion bases
This requires skilled staff to lead and run these provisions while maintaining standards across the school. Leaders face both logistical and recruitment challenges. Leaders must plan timetables and roles to ensure mainstream classes don’t suffer. From a recruitment perspective, sourcing experienced SEN teachers, teaching assistants, and behaviour specialists is critical. Partnering with a recruitment specialist can help schools source the specialists needed to make these new inclusion bases a success.
Behaviour and complex needs
Schools need to deliver calm, safe classrooms with high standards for behaviour. At the same time, student needs are becoming more complex, with rising levels of social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs.
Turning policy into staffing solutions
At Holden Knight Education, we support schools in turning policy into workforce solutions.
Access to a specialist talent pool: We connect you with vetted, high-calibre educators who specialise in adaptive teaching and complex SEND needs. This ensures your inclusion strategy is expert-led.
Strategic workforce planning: Working with your leadership team to forecast gaps and build sustainable staffing models that meet the white paper’s long-term attendance and attainment targets.
Rigorous quality and compliance: We manage the administrative burden of vetting and safeguarding, providing classroom-ready professionals who can hit the ground running with zero disruption to your school.
From policy to implementation
Every Child Achieving and Thriving addresses the increasing demand for SEN provision. The success of the SEND white paper will depend on how schools implement the funding and use it to create more inclusive environments.
Looking for specialist SEN teachers, teaching assistants, or tutors in 2026? At Holden Knight Education, we help schools in supporting SEN pupils. By managing the entire recruitment and vetting process, we enable schools to focus on teaching rather than administration.
Let Holden Knight Education help you find experienced professionals who make a real difference today.