A Sunshine Support overview of the new SEND White Paper
The government has released its long‑awaited SEND White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving. As always, big announcements create big reactions—hope, worry, frustration, confusion.
At Sunshine Support, our job is to translate policy into clarity, not panic. So here’s our calm, straight‑talking breakdown of what matters right now for families.
Let’s start with the question everyone asks us first.
👉 EHCPs remain as they are today.
No processes have changed. No criteria have changed. No rights have changed. The White Paper proposes new elements for the future—including something called Specialist Provision Packages—but the document is clear:
The current legal SEND system stays in place until new legislation is passed, existing EHCP holders will keep their plans, and
any transition to a new system would be slow, phased and protected, beginning no earlier than 2029/30.
This means: if you’re applying for, maintaining, or appealing an EHCP right now, you do so under today’s laws, duties and timelines.
The White Paper repeatedly stresses an ambition to shift support earlier and more consistently, long before a crisis point. Highlights include:
A new Inclusive Mainstream Fund (£1.6bn) so schools can provide more support without relying solely on EHCPs.
Experts at Hand (£1.8bn)—bringing speech and language therapists, educational psychologists and other specialists into schools earlier and more regularly.
A new digital Individual Support Plan (ISP) that every school will be required to use to record needs and provision.
This could be positive—if it leads to genuine early help rather than gatekeeping. As ever, implementation is what counts.
The government emphasises that high standards and inclusion must go hand‑in‑hand. That includes:
More accountability for inclusive practice.
An Ofsted framework that now grades inclusion
National Inclusion Standards (coming 2028)
More training for all school staff, backed by £200m investment
It’s a welcome acknowledgement of what families, teachers and practitioners have said for years: inclusion done well benefits all children.
The White Paper promises:
10,000 new SEND places in 2025–26, plus 50,000 additional specialist places over the next four years, significant investment in inclusion bases within mainstream schools.
Inclusion bases are intended to offer specialist support within a school community—something many parents have been calling for.
The long-term aim is a single, integrated SEND system with three layers:
Universal
Targeted / Targeted Plus
Specialist (via EHCP + Specialist Provision Package)
But again: this is the destination, not where we are today.
The current system is still the system.
Here’s the most important message:
You do not need to change anything about how you seek SEND support at school, or how you apply for or manage an EHCP.
Your legal rights remain in full force.
But you will be hearing a lot of noise, speculation and misinterpretation over the coming months.
That’s exactly why we’re inviting you to…
If you're feeling uncertain about what the White Paper means for your child, you’re not alone. And you don’t need to work it out alone.
During our Week of SEND, we’ll walk you through:
What the reforms really mean (and don’t mean) how to navigate school support and EHCPs confidently.
What early intervention should look like
How to protect your child’s rights amid upcoming change
What to expect over the next few years
Because your child cannot wait for policy to settle — they need the right support now.
➡️ Sign up through the Sunshine Academy page and get the expert clarity, guidance and empowerment you deserve.
