Phillipson Guarantees EHCP Continuity for Complex Needs Amid Send Reforms
Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson has vowed that children with the most complex special educational needs and disabilities (Send) will retain their education, health and care plans (EHCPs) under sweeping government reforms. This commitment comes amid concerns that some young people might lose access to vital support as the system undergoes transformation.
Current System 'Does Not Work'
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has declared the current Send system fundamentally flawed, stating it "does not work" and emphasizing his government's determination to provide "a better education for every child." The reforms, unveiled in the Schools White Paper, represent a significant shift in how support is delivered to children with Send across England.
Speaking at a school in Peterborough, Phillipson directly addressed parental anxieties: "Forget the misinformation you might have heard. EHCPs for children with the most complex needs will stay, guided by nationally-defined and evidence-based specialist provision packages."
New Individual Support Plans
The cornerstone of the reform is the introduction of individual support plans (ISPs), which will have legal standing for all children with Send. These plans will feature multiple tiers of support—targeted and targeted plus—and crucially, will not require a formal diagnosis for access.
"This is dependent on individual need, not an arbitrary definition," Phillipson explained to reporters. "Some autistic children do need specialist provision. For some children with autism, with the right level of support within mainstream they can thrive, can achieve."
Transition Timeline and Guarantees
The Department for Education has outlined a careful transition period. Assessments for the new system will commence in September 2029 following a twelve-week consultation period, with no changes to current support occurring before "at least September 2030."
Under the projections, approximately one in eight children with Send who currently have an EHCP will transition to the new ISP framework between 2030 and 2035. The percentage of pupils with an EHCP is expected to rise until 2029/30 before declining to around 4.7% by 2034/35, down from the current 5.8%.
Phillipson emphasized the government's intention to "take away that fight that so many parents have had over such a long period of time to get the support that should be much more readily available to their children."
Key Protections and Monitoring
The policy document provides specific guarantees: all children moving from an EHCP to an ISP will "retain the right to request a mainstream placement, and no child will move from a special school or college unless they choose to do so."
Schools watchdog Ofsted will monitor ISP implementation in schools, with inadequate performance potentially leading to new management arrangements. While the Department for Education aims to make Send tribunals a "last resort," parents will maintain the right to appeal EHCP-related decisions.
Broader Context and Concerns
The reforms arrive against a backdrop of escalating EHCP numbers, which reached 638,745 for individuals up to age 25 as of January 2025—a substantial increase from 353,995 in 2019. This surge has created significant financial pressures for local authorities.
Children's commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza has broadly welcomed the plans but cautioned that "no child should fear losing their support," pledging to collaborate with both government and families "to make this a reality."
However, concerns persist. Anna Bird, chair of the Disabled Children's Partnership, expressed being "deeply concerned about plans to restrict access to EHCPs to 'most complex needs', while leaving out which children it considers to have complex needs."
Education Committee chairwoman Helen Hayes stated she would seek "cast-iron guarantees that children's rights will be strengthened through these reforms, not eroded."
Funding and Implementation
The reforms are supported by a £4 billion investment in England's Send system designed to foster greater inclusivity. Phillipson highlighted that recruiting and retaining excellent teachers and support staff remains "absolutely critical" to successful implementation, acknowledging progress toward an additional 6,500 teachers but admitting "there is more to do."
The Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR) endorsed the approach, noting it would "ensure more children get help sooner—and that EHCPs are reserved for those with the most complex needs."
Phillipson concluded with a vision of transformation: the plans will take children with Send "from sidelined and excluded to seen, heard and included," marking a fundamental reorientation of support toward earlier intervention and need-based assistance.
