TO BE PUBLISHED November 2026
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This conference will examine next steps for special educational needs and disabilities provision in England.
It will bring stakeholders and policymakers together to discuss the Government’s developing reform programme set out in the Every Child Achieving and Thriving Schools White Paper and the recent announcement of an Education for All Bill in the King’s Speech. Areas for discussion include implementation of proposed reform, with the Government aiming to improve inclusion and consistency of support across mainstream and specialist provision, and the forthcoming government response to the SEND reform: putting children and young people first consultation, alongside priorities for system capacity, continuity of support, and safeguards for children, young people, and families.
Enabling early access to support
Attendees will consider priorities for earlier identification and intervention, access to specialist input, workforce readiness - including training, recruitment, retention, and professional development - and consistent graduated response, as well as approaches to prevent delays, uneven implementation, and uncertainty for families during transition.
Implications of reform for providers & widening inclusive practice
The conference will examine practical implications of reform for schools, multi-academy trusts, special schools, and alternative provision settings, including SENCO capacity, staffing pressures, and the use of specialist expertise to support inclusion while maintaining provision for those with more complex needs. Discussion will also assess approaches to embedding inclusion across curriculum and assessment design, classroom practice, and accountability, in response to Ofsted’s updated inspection framework and anticipated National Inclusion Standards.
Capacity & oversight
Further sessions will assess issues around local authority pressures and system sustainability, including place planning, capital delivery, transport, staffing, and funding for complex needs services. Delegates will assess priorities for partnership working across education, health, and social care, alongside inspection, accountability, and dispute resolution. They will also examine reform to complaints and tribunal processes while maintaining families’ rights and protections, as well as priorities for improving oversight, transparency, and data tracking to support consistent standards of service.
Overview of areas for discussion
- policy, transition, and safeguards:
- Every Child Achieving and Thriving - managing the extended transition period - system readiness and implementation planning
- maintaining continuity where processes or documentation change - safeguards for children and young people accessing services
- inclusive mainstream provision and specialist input:
- preparing for a more inclusive mainstream model - workforce readiness and retention - access to specialist input - earlier identification and intervention
- mitigating uneven implementation - reducing delays and pressure on families navigating assessments and provision
- pathways and frontline delivery:
- mapping end to end pathways from early identification through graduated response and specialist escalation - clear thresholds, support routes, and expected timescales
- planning, documentation, and co-ordination requirements - SENCO workload and staffing capacity - clear roles and escalation routes for frontline staff
- specialist provision, AP, and capacity:
- implications for special schools and AP - pathway design - reintegration expectations - provision for children and young people with complex needs
- deploying specialist expertise to support mainstream inclusion - managing pressures on specialist placements and services
- curriculum, assessment, and classroom practice:
- implications of the Curriculum and Assessment Review - assessment reform, curriculum design, and inclusion across early years, schools, and post-16 educational settings
- interaction with SEND reform in classroom practice and accountability - implications for inspection and school-level expectations
- local authority readiness and partnership working:
- readiness milestones around workforce, data, commissioning, and governance - place planning across mainstream and specialist provision - capital, staffing, transport, and financial pressures
- joint planning and commissioning across education, health, and social care - clear information for parents and carers
- accountability, dispute resolution, and oversight:
- judging inclusion at school and area level - local offer as an improvement tool - proportionate accountability, publication requirements, and expectations on use of funding
- changes to complaints and tribunal processes - maintaining protections relied upon by families - datasets for timeliness, placement stability, and outcomes to monitor variation and target improvement
