London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

On 23 February 2026 the UK Government announced that it plans to make major changes to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system.

SEND is designed for children and young people who need extra support to meet their physical, communication, social, emotional or mental health needs. In England, parents or carers of children who need more support than mainstream schools typically provide can apply for an education, health and care plan (EHCP).

In a new White Paper the Government has announced almost £4 billion of extra funding for pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) but also changes to the system, including that by 2035 EHCPs will be reserved only for those with the most complex special educational needs.

Dr Mark Carew, Assistant Professor at the International Centre for Evidence in Disability at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said:

“About 1 in 5 pupils in England have special educational needs (SEN), an increase of 30% compared to 2016. Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP), issued to pupils whose needs that cannot reasonably be met through ordinarily available provision, have more than doubled over the same period. Local authority spending on high-needs provision has risen sharply, with many councils carrying significant cumulative deficits.

“Most importantly, the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system has failed to deliver for many of the children and young people it exists to serve. Key educational outcomes for SEN pupils have flatlined.

“Against this backdrop, the government’s Every Child Achieving and Thriving White Paper represents an attempt to resuscitate a system widely considered to be on the brink of collapse. Its central emphasis of including SEN pupils within mainstream systems that fully meet their needs is the right direction of travel as it is consistent with the UK’s obligations under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. 

"There are also a range of positive measures to achieve this such as operational proposals to facilitate knowledge sharing. I work closely with the Disability Policy Centre, one of the UK’s leading thinktanks on disability issues, who have long called for local hubs and inclusion partnerships to exchange best practice on SEND.

“However, inclusive education is also not only about ensuring equitable learning outcomes. It requires meaningful participation for SEN pupils, as I noted through a recent Wilton Park Dialogue with the UK government and the International Disability Alliance. 

"The White Paper sets out an ambition to address these wider disadvantages, including mental wellbeing, belonging, and participation in physical activity and enrichment opportunities. The decisive question is whether these commitments are matched by effective accountability and delivery mechanisms, sustainable funding, and a robust framework for research and independent evaluation. All these are needed for this new policy package to become transformational rather than aspirational for England’s 1.7 million pupils with SEN.”

Dr Carew’s research focuses on disability issues including disability-inclusive education. He recently co-organised a Wilton Park Dialogue with the Foreign, Commonwealth, & Development Office and the International Disability Alliance on inclusive education. Wilton Park Dialogues bring together senior policymakers, researchers and experts to address complex global policy challenges.