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Written question asked by Siân Berry (Green Party) on Monday, 18 May 2026, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Wednesday, 20 May 2026. It was answered by Georgia Gould (Labour) on Wednesday, 3 June 2026 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Special Educational Needs: Reform

Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how the provision set out in Individual Support Plans for children with SEND under the potential reforms proposed in the consultation, SEND reform: Putting children and young people first, would be enforced.

Answer

The Individual Support Plan (ISP) is intended as a clear and consistent record of a child or young person's needs and the support they receive, helping settings and families understand what support is being put in place, track outcomes and determine whether support is improving these.

​Where there are concerns about provision, the proposals are that parents and young people will be able to resolve this directly with the setting, including making use of the improved schools complaints process if necessary. The department will seek to strengthen the school complaints system with the inclusion of an appropriate, independent special educational needs and disabilities specialist on the complaints panel.

The use and quality of ISPs will be considered in Ofsted inspections, with clear routes for parents to raise concerns, and we expect governors will sample ISPs. The department will update relevant guidance for governors and trust boards to provide further information.

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Our reforms are still proposals and not final decisions. The government's consultation on 'SEND reform: putting children and young people first’ has now closed. We are reviewing consultation responses alongside feedback from over 200 engagement events we held over 12 weeks.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
2527
Session
2026-27
Related items
Subjects
Reform Special educational needs
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk