TO BE PUBLISHED March 2026
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This conference will examine next steps for SEND provision in England.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss the forthcoming Schools White Paper and the final report of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, and what expected recommendations mean for reform of assessment, curriculum design, and inclusion.
Funding & local budgets
Areas for discussion include progression routes for learners with SEND, the balance between mainstream and specialist provision, and the future legal and financial responsibilities of schools and local authorities. In the context of the Spending Review and Fair Funding Review 2.0, planned sessions will consider concerns about the sustainability of local budgets and the management of rising deficits, along with implications for investment decisions, local provision planning, and accountability arrangements.
We also expect delegates to consider key issues being examined in the ongoing Public Accounts Committee and National Audit Office inquiries into the costs and commissioning of home-to-school transport, and their implications for local authority budgets, provision planning, and value-for-money oversight.
Improving service provision & building capacity
Delegates will look at how pressures facing schools and local authorities might be addressed, including options for expansion of both mainstream and specialist capacity, and strengthening cooperation with health and social care. Attendees will examine the impact of rising EHCP demand and mounting local deficits on provision.
Further areas for discussion include how earlier intervention and inclusion in mainstream models might work in practice, and options for mitigating consequences for families where assessment processes are delayed or statutory entitlements change. We also expect the agenda to consider priorities for inspection and accountability reforms, in the context of proposals for increased Ofsted powers anticipated in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - such as a greater emphasis on inclusion.
Planned sessions also focus on longer-term priorities for improving outcomes, including measures for strengthening progression into further and higher education, and supporting sustainable transitions into employment. Delegates will also consider what will be needed from reform to effectively support equitable provision across regions, and the indicators that can best track progress.
Overview of areas for discussion
- assessment reform: proposals in the Schools White Paper and C&A Review - effects of alternative teacher assessment on standards - new approaches to support learner attainment
- local finances: options for addressing effects of high-needs spending rising faster than funding - alignment of Transformation Fund investment with long-term sustainability
- placement capacity: impact of forecast rising EHCP demand - pressures on schools that are already over capacity - assessing funding to expand specialist places in mainstream schools
- staffing: strategic options for addressing long waits for speech and language therapy, and shortage of trained specialists across services - initiatives to strengthen training and workforce planning
- coordination:
- meeting collaborative requirements in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill - local management of fair access protocols
- advancing joined-up support across education, health, and care - best practice for schools and parents working together to support children with SEND
- legal rights: proposals to narrow or restructure EHCPs - options for new categories of support plans - priorities for safeguarding entitlements and maintaining trust with families
- inspection: extension of Ofsted powers over social care - closer scrutiny of schools with high pupil movement or complaints - recognising effective practice alongside areas needing improvement
- transport: new distance limits in funding models - options for more efficient provision closer to home - issues being raised in the NAO and PAC inquiries into cots and commissioning
- progression: addressing low attainment levels among learners with SEND - improving progression into FE, HE, and employment - supporting pathways to better outcomes earlier in education
