Skip to content

Council welcomes government investment in specialist SEND support

Published
Gloucestershire County Council has welcomed the Government’s announcement of additional investment to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), recognising that the reforms build on strong foundations already in place locally.
Children at school

The Government has said that every child with additional needs will benefit from better, more tailored support, backed by £4 billion of national investment to make every school more inclusive and improve outcomes for children with SEND. Mainstream schools will receive a share of £1.6 billion over three years to boost inclusion, while a further £1.8 billion will help provide better access to external support.

Under the new plans, pupils’ special educational needs will be met through a layered system of support. Education, health and care plans (EHCPs) will be reserved for children with the most complex needs, with schools creating Individual Support Plans (ISPs) for pupils with less complex needs. These will be guided by new national inclusion standards and a statutory duty for schools to set out their approach to inclusion. The ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ white paper and associated SEND consultation outline proposals expected to take effect from 2029.

Gloucestershire enters this next phase of SEND reform from a position of strength. The county already has:

  • A well‑established Graduated Pathway
  • A SEND & Education Inclusion Strategy which was extended to September 2026 to align with national reform
  • A multi‑agency SEND & Inclusion Local Area Partnership (SILAP) with active governance and a strong improvement plan

The reforms align with Gloucestershire’s existing direction of travel – the partnership’s approach which is embedded locally as best practice is becoming national policy. The county council is committed to continuing to ensure children receive the help and support they need and will work with children, families, schools and partners to deliver these changes.

Cllr Linda Cohen, cabinet member for education and skills, said: “We welcome these reforms and the additional funding that will strengthen the support available to families and schools. While this will not create a perfect system it is an important step toward ensuring more children can receive the specialist help they need in their local school.

“Gloucestershire is already strongly aligned with the national direction of SEND reform, with established systems and partnerships that reflect the principles being taken forward. These changes will help build on the ambitious work we are already doing to improve support for children and young people across the county.

“A critically important factor will be Gloucestershire’s funding settlement to deliver these reforms. Whilst we are positive about the range of measures set out, Gloucestershire has historically been poorly funded and we are looking to Government to redress this inequity in order to ensure that our children and young people can continue to access the support they need.

“Our priority now will be talking with our schools, early years settings and most importantly our families. We will work closely with Gloucestershire’s Parent Carer Forum to understand their views and what the reforms mean in practice. We will be sharing our feedback with Government, and I would encourage families to do the same.

“Our shared ambition remains clear: to ensure every child and young person with SEND receives timely, tailored support, and to do everything within our power, within the resources available, to make these reforms work for Gloucestershire’s families.”