23 October 2025

The long-awaited Schools White Paper, which was due to set out the Government’s planned reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, has been delayed until 2026.

In a letter to the Chair of the Education Select Committee yesterday, Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson confirmed that the Government will now publish the White Paper early in the new year, rather than this autumn as previously expected.

In her letter, the Secretary of State said, “To help us deliver the most effective set of reforms we can, I have taken the decision to have a further period of co-creation, testing our proposals with the people who matter most in this reform – the families – alongside teachers and other experts as you highlight in the Select Committee’s report. We will bring forward a full Schools White Paper early in the new year, underpinned by our belief that high standards and inclusion are two sides of the same coin.”

This delay means that families will have to wait longer for clarity on the Government’s planned reforms for the SEND system. However, it also means ministers have paused on potentially unwelcome reforms, including possible restrictions to Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans.

Responding to the announcement, Madeleine Cassidy, IPSEA’s Chief Executive, said: “For the thousands of families we support who are already fighting every day to secure the support their children are legally entitled to, news of yet another delay to the SEND White Paper feels like a painful setback. While we understand the Government’s wish to make evidence-based decisions, we urge the Department for Education to use this additional time wisely - to strengthen the existing legal framework and ensure that the rights of children and young people are not only upheld, but truly protected in the reforms to come".

We await the Schools White Paper next year, and in the meantime, we will continue our joint campaign to defend the legal rights of children and young people with SEND and push for changes that make the SEND system work for children, young people and their families.

Explore more of our latest news here.