Your Weekly SEND Newsletter | Volume 58

Plus: Blunkett urges sensitivity on SEND reform💬

Author

Rafe Houston
July 10, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 5 minutes

Special Educational Needs

Welcome to UK Govtech SEND, your weekly newsletter offering the latest insights, strategies, and updates to help UK educators and leaders champion inclusivity and innovation in special educational needs and disabilities.

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In the Headlines🔍

You might have caught it on the BBC Today programme earlier this week, that the government is reportedly exploring significant changes to EHCPs (Education, Health and Care Plans), including potential limits on access.​

Rather than reducing access, this should be an opportunity to reform the system and build the support children need earlier. Have a listen from 2:36:45 onwards: Today - 07/07/2025 - BBC Sounds​

We spoke to the SEND team at Agilisys, as they work to introduce AI to the EHCP drafting space, and they shared some thoughts on where the government's energy should go instead:​

🔁 Reform EHCPs, do not remove them​

Focus on improving the quality, consistency, and speed of EHCPs across the country.​

🏫 Strengthen early, non-statutory support in mainstream schools​

Provide schools with the training, resources, and capacity to support children from the very first signs of need.​

👨‍👩‍👦 Co-develop solutions with families and young people​

Ensure reforms are shaped by those with lived experience—not designed around them.​

Keen to learn more about what Agilisys is doing in this space? Or how their AI tool is transforming how EHCPs are drafted in over 35+ Local Authorities? Check their dedicated EHCP page here: Agilisys EHCP Tool | Agilisys

Mission-Led Innovation

Reporting from #LGA25, the UK GovTech team sat in on a powerful session delivered by Florence Kroll CBE from the Royal Borough of Greenwich, spotlighting their redesign of local support for disabled young people through the extended Disabled Children and Young People Service (DCYPS).

By supporting young people with EHCPs through to the end of education (potentially up to age 25), Greenwich is addressing the long-reported “cliff edge” and reducing the number of disruptive transition points between children’s and adult social care. ✅ The result? A 40% reduction in care costs at transition. Their new seamless pathway is co-produced with young people and delivered by a single integrated team of children’s and adult practitioners. Key lessons shared: 🔍 Strong system leadership grounded in data 🤝 Deep collaboration across services to reduce silos 🏠 Investing in local, integrated provision to promote independence 📈 Financial oversight to ensure outcomes and value 🔄 Applying learning across departments to build wider impact

👉 What’s your local authority doing to support young people with SEND as they transition to adulthood? Press the link - we’d love to hear how you are tackling this challenge in the comments!

Quick Reads📖

SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS

David Blunkett stresses the importance of handling changes to England’s special educational needs (SEND) system with sensitivity, emphasising reassurance for parents about the future of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). This is crucial as EHCPs provide essential support for over 600,000 young people, and without careful reform, confidence in the SEND system might further erode.

The Guardian

SEND POLICY DEBATE

Ministers intend to phase out Education, Health, and Care Plans (EHCPs) in mainstream schools, which is criticised by SEND leaders who argue that this might detrimentally affect children with special needs by limiting statutory support. This reduction may place strain on special schools and exclude children from receiving essential services.

CHILDREN'S RIGHTS

The campaign "Save Our Children's Rights" calls for urgent action against potential governmental changes to EHCPs that could strip legal protections for children with special educational needs and disabilities. The initiative, supported by over 100 signatories (so far) including notable celebrities and experts, intends to preserve existing rights amidst fears of cost-cutting measures that may marginalise the needs of these children. This is crucial as any reduction in EHCPs would significantly impact young beneficiaries, destabilising their support framework in mainstream education settings.

EDUCATION REFORMS

England's education reform will require all teachers to become SEND specialists, intending to address financial strains and increase inclusion in mainstream schools. Critics worry this shift may overburden teachers and reduce tailored support for SEND students, as EHCPs face potential cutbacks. Parents and educators express anxiety over the pending SEND White Paper and its implications for support and resources.