POLICY UPDATE Policy Number: Three Issued By: Annamarie Hassall
Date: July 2026
This update looks at the main policy developments since our April edition. For the first time, SEND was referenced at the State Opening of Parliament, in the Kings Speech. The intended legislation to underpin the SEND reforms through a Bill known as Education for All, was announced. The summer term is traditionally a crowded one as government departments seek to conclude their schools-focused policy developments ahead of the end of term and the parliamentary recess. The Schools White Paper, ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’, and SEND Reforms, ‘Putting Children and Young People First’, continue to feature in specific policy areas, such as the new guidance on Inclusion Bases in Schools and information on Experts at Hand. Also, the latest SEN Data in England was published on 11th June. On wider policy developments, we note an increase in how policy guidance and consultations are written for all schools, colleges or early years, with references to SEND and inclusion. This includes the new Ofsted Schools Inspection Toolkit.
SEND in England The Department for Education (DfE) has published the latest data on pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and SEN provision in schools in England. This is an important annual analysis and publication of data insights, drawn from the January 2026 school census on pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and SEN provision in schools. This publication analyses the characteristics of pupils by their: special educational needs provision type of need.
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The headlines from the data: over 1.8 million, or one in five pupils, have SEN 6% have an EHCP, up from 5.3% last year 14.8% have SEN support, up from 14.2%. Looking at the data by phase and setting type: in nursery, 19.1% of pupils have an EHC plan or SEN support, an increase from 18.8% in 2025 in primary, 19.4% have an EHC plan or SEN support, an increase from 18.2% in secondary, 17.6% have an EHC plan or SEN support, an increase from 16.5% in state-funded Alternative Provision (AP), 84.9% have an EHC plan or SEN support, an increase from 83.4% in independent schools, including independent special schools, 26.3% have an EHC plan or SEN support, an increase from 24.1%. As in previous years, the most frequently stated area for SEN Support is Speech, Language and Communication needs, and Autism is the most frequently stated for EHCPs. The dataset allows breakdown by: ethnic groups SEN type (EHCP vs SEN Support) primary need (autism, SLCN, SEMH, etc.) Free School Meals (socioeconomic status) year group and gender. As an example, we have reviewed the data relating to ethnicity, establishing that SEN is not evenly distributed by ethnicity. The DfE dataset explicitly shows that SEN varies significantly by major ethnic group (White, Black, Asian, Mixed, Other). The consistent national pattern is: Higher rates among: Gypsy/Roma Traveller of Irish heritage Black Caribbean Mixed White & Black Caribbean. Lower rates among: Chinese Indian (generally) broader Asian groups.
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In considering areas of SEN need: Black Caribbean pupils Over-represented in SEMH (social, emotional, mental health) Asian groups (Indian, Chinese) Under-represented in: autism SEMH. For further information, view the ‘build your own data tables’ for 2026 and prior years.
Supporting SEND reform: developing the Experts at Hand offer The DfE has published guidance and supporting documents which set out expectations for local authorities and integrated care boards in developing and delivering their Year 1 Experts at Hand offer. More children and young people with SEND will get specialist support without needing a diagnosis, as the government begins rolling out a new Experts at Hand service across England, enabled by new investment, said to be £1.8 billion. Every local area will now begin expanding access to speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, specialist teachers and educational psychologists, who will work directly alongside mainstream schools, early years settings and colleges, helping staff identify needs earlier and put support in place more quickly. The new Experts at Hand teams will bring specialist expertise out of waiting lists and into the communities where children learn, ensuring families can access support closer to home rather than having to navigate a complex system before help becomes available. The move marks the start of the government's plans to transform support for children and young people with SEND. The government published guidance for local areas and has appointed a national panel of experts to help shape the future system to ensure better support for children and young people with SEND in every classroom.
Inclusion Bases in Schools Guidance The DfE has released non-statutory guidance designed to assist school leaders, teachers, SENCOs, and local authorities in establishing, delivering, and improving inclusion bases within mainstream settings. These bases replace previous designations — such as SEN units, resourced provision, and pupil support units — and serve as a bridge between mainstream and specialist environments. Inclusion bases provide targeted interventions, teaching, and specialist support for children with special educational needs and disabilities, low attendance, or behavioural and pastoral vulnerabilities. They operate as an intrinsic part of mainstream schools rather than standalone educational institutions.
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The Continuum Model Bases operate flexibly across a continuum model tailored to individual pupil needs: Inclusive Services: Pupils spend the majority of their learning time in mainstream classes, accessing the base for targeted, small-group sessions Dedicated Learning Areas: Pupils do most of their learning within the base space, joining mainstream environments only for selected activities or phased reintegration.
Six Principles of Effective Practice The guidance, shaped by extensive sector consultation, outlines six core operational principles: 1. Supporting Inclusion: Establishing a whole-school culture where base users are active, valued members of the school community with maximised mainstream access 2. High-Quality Curriculum Design: Providing a broad, ambitious curriculum aligned with mainstream standards but adapted to eliminate learning barriers 3. Effective Data and Assessment: Setting ambitious targets, utilising robust baselining, and tracking non-linear, small-step trajectories 4. Effective Workforce and Leadership: Ensuring provision is teacher-led, deploying multidisciplinary expertise, and prioritising staff workload and wellbeing 5. Effective Partnership Working: Creating collective ownership via strong collaboration with families, external healthcare professionals, and local authorities 6. Accessible Physical Environments: Utilising flexible, purposeful, and sensoryconscious spaces situated close to mainstream classrooms.
Commissioning and Models Provision is divided into two models: Support bases (commissioned and funded internally by schools, trusts, or local school clusters) and Specialist bases (commissioned and funded by local authorities to meet area-wide strategic demands). For detailed case studies and operational templates, please consult the full DfE guidance document.
Other policy related development and reports to note School attendance The DfE has published new information and resources to help schools better communicate with parents and carers to support improved pupil attendance. It includes resources such as templates and links to NHS advice and animations. New research analysing reasons for absence during selected events to help schools and responsible bodies better understand and support the attendance of their pupils is also available.
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Mental health support teams in schools New data shows that nearly six million children and young people have accessed mental health support in their school or college. This is around 800,000 more pupils than last year, with support teams now working in almost 11,800 schools and colleges across England. To read about the coverage of Mental Health Support Teams (MHSTs) working in schools and colleges in England, and the experiences of the schools and colleges they work with, visit the government’s website.
The Schools Inspection Toolkit The Schools Inspection Toolkit (from September 2026) sets out how Ofsted will evaluate schools, focusing on the quality and impact of leaders’ systems, teaching, and provision on pupils’ outcomes and wellbeing. It emphasises practice over paperwork. Inspections focus on impact – how effectively leadership decisions improve pupils’ experiences and outcomes. Judgements are made across core areas including curriculum, achievement, inclusion, behaviour, personal development and leadership. There is a strong emphasis on: High expectations for all pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged or have SEND Strong foundations in reading, writing, maths and communication Inclusive practice that removes barriers to learning. Evidence is gathered through professional discussions and observing practice, not through extra documentation. Schools are graded on a structured scale from urgent improvement to exceptional, based on consistency and sustained impact. SEND and inclusion are central to the entire toolkit, not a separate add-on. They run through every judgement area, with a dedicated Inclusion section plus expectations embedded across curriculum, behaviour, achievement and leadership. Please read the current version of the toolkit, found on the 'School inspection: toolkit, operating guides and information' page.
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Neurodiversity in Mainstream Schools A report published by the British Education Research Association (BERA), analyses evidence from four key reports, leading to a call for: A shift towards a neurodiversity-informed education system, including: moving from deficit-based to strengths-based approaches greater recognition of non-formal and creative learning environments investment in teacher development and cross-sector collaboration stronger, earlier support for transitions beyond school embedding student voice in policy and practice.
Ambitious About Inclusion Report – Mission 44 and the Centre for Young Lives This Mission 44 report argues that inclusive education is essential — not optional — for improving outcomes. It presents a view that the current system remains too fragmented and reactive to deliver inclusive education consistently. Drawing on national events with nearly 500 stakeholders, it shows that effective inclusive practice already exists across England, yet structural barriers (accountability pressures, weak coordination and uneven local capacity) prevent it from scaling. The report calls for system-wide reform aligned with the Schools White Paper, placing early intervention, partnership and youth voice at the centre of change.
Early Years Attracting graduate teachers to deprived nurseries The government has announced a £4,500 annual bonus to attract qualified nursery teachers to some of England's most deprived communities. The scheme, which will start in 10 areas – expanding to 30 this year - is intended to help nurseries recruit teachers and unlock childcare worth up to £8,000 for families. The incentive will target communities where children are least likely to be school ready or that are lacking teachers.
Consultations Consultation on Education Other Than at School (EOTAS) The DfE launched a consultation in July. The consultation seeks to views on how the government can better support children and young people whose education, health and care (EHC) plan has set out that they should be educated outside a school or college setting. The consultation also covers: support for children who cannot attend school because of health needs how schools and local authorities use accredited online education providers for alternative provision. Find out more and access the consultation on the government’s website.
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