Ofsted is currently reviewing its complaints arrangements for schools, with a view to strengthening independent oversight. The department is engaging with Ofsted on this matter. Further details of the plans will be made available in due course.

As set out in the department’s consultation, ‘SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First’, the department proposed a duty on settings to produce an Individual Support Plan (ISP) for every child or young person receiving targeted, targeted plus or specialist support. Under this proposal, the ISP would provide a clear and consistent record of a child or young person’s needs and the help they receive, so that support is joined‑up, timely and centred on what will help them thrive. The responses to the consultation are carefully being reviewed and we will respond in due course.

The department recognises the importance of ensuring that parents and carers have effective routes to raise concerns where support is not being delivered as expected. The ISP will be developed by settings together with parents and young people, giving every child or young person with special educational needs a clear and consistent record of their needs and the help they receive.

The department proposed strengthening the school complaints system with the inclusion of an appropriate, independent SEND specialist on a complaints panel if the complaint cannot be resolved by the school’s senior management team or head teacher. We also proposed strengthening the utilisation of Disagreement Resolution Services by improving and updating guidance for schools. In addition, we set out plans to improve complaints systems more generally in the Schools White Paper, by exploring digital solutions, updating guidance and setting out clearer handling processes.

​​The department will support local authorities, schools, families and the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) tribunal to manage the move to our new SEND system. We heard clearly from parents, educators and practitioners the importance of a phased approach to a new system, starting with investment in early intervention. We will share clear guidance ahead of the commencement of new legislation and phase transition, moving children and young people to the new system over a period of seven years and only when they reach the end of their education phase, such as the end of year 6 or year 11.

Under our proposals, a triple lock of transitional protections will mean every child with a special school place in September 2029 will be able to stay in a special school until they finish education. Further proposals will mean children with an education, health and care (EHC) plan will not transition to the new system until 2030, and those who transition out of their EHC plan will have an Individual Support Plan in place ahead of their plan ceasing.

We are investing £200 million of transformation funding to build capacity, strengthen strategic planning and data capability, and implement local authorities’ Local SEND Reform Plans. Through the inclusive mainstream fund, we are also investing £500 million per financial year over the next three years to improve readiness ahead of transitioning to our improved SEND system from 2029.

The world in which young people are growing up is changing more rapidly than ever, and we know that human skills will become even more valuable when preparing them to succeed in life and work.

Our refreshed curriculum will deliver high standards for all, making sure that pupils obtain the breadth and depth of knowledge and skills they need to thrive in the future.

They will learn to master the essential technological and digital skills needed for the workplace through a curriculum rich in digital and media literacy.

The government will nurture the next generation of leaders by creating fluent and confident speakers through a greater emphasis on oracy across curriculum subjects.

We will also widen opportunity for all young people and create clear pathways into further study, training and high-quality careers where they live.

Headteachers are responsible for recruitment and deployment in their schools, as they are best placed to understand the specific needs of their pupils and make staffing decisions accordingly.

In Shropshire, the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) school support staff increased slightly from 2,537 in 2024/25 to 2,553 in 2025/26. This includes an increase in FTE teaching assistant numbers from 1,470 in 2024/25 to 1,517 in 2025/26. There has also been a slight decrease in FTE technicians from 48 in 2024/25 to 45 in 2025/26.

The government is committed to ensuring that school support staff are recognised and rewarded for the crucial work they do. That is why we are establishing the School Support Staff Negotiating Body to negotiate new statutory minimum levels for pay and conditions and advise on training and career progression for school support staff in England.

We are investing in schools to deliver the changes to support mainstream inclusion. From 2026 to 2027 we will provide £1.6 billion for the Inclusive Mainstream Fund for schools, colleges and early years settings to deliver an improved inclusion offer, as well as £1.8 billion for Experts at Hand.

The department is also investing £200 million in a new special educational needs and disabilities training offer to upskill school, college and nursery staff, including teaching assistants.

The Experts at Hand offer is funded by a £1.8 billion grant, over the three years of the spending review period. It is for local authorities, working in partnership with local system partners, to provide advice and direct support to mainstream schools, colleges and early years settings. This funding is for investment in services that individual settings cannot commission alone, such as specialist health and education support, to improve the quality of inclusive education for children and young people with special education needs and disabilities (SEND), in line with the 2026 Schools White Paper and SEND Reform consultation document.

Over the same time period, the £1.6 billion Inclusive Mainstream Fund will be provided for mainstream schools, colleges and early years settings. It will support schools to transition towards a reformed education system that is inclusive by design, ensuring every child and young person receives high-quality, adaptive teaching and early help when they need it.

We have fulfilled a commitment in ‘SEND Reform, Putting Children and Young People First’ to consult on ways to allow local authorities to pass more of their high needs funding directly to local mainstream schools. The proposals are intended to support earlier intervention and enable a more proactive approach to meeting needs, reducing reliance on funding being tied to statutory processes. More information is available at: https://consult.education.gov.uk/funding-policy-unit/upfront-funding-for-mainstream-schools-creating-a/supporting_documents/upfront-funding-for-mainstream-schools-creating-a-local-send-inclusion-formulapdf.

Over time, there will be further rebalancing of funding from the high needs budget into schools’ budgets, in line with new accountability arrangements. This will allow them to deliver more flexible, direct and timely support and further incentivise early intervention and inclusive practice.

The department recognises the importance of understanding the diversity of the school workforce, including the experiences of neurodivergent staff. The School Workforce Census (SWC) already collects information on disability, which may include some neurodivergent conditions where individuals choose to declare them. However, the disability data collected does not enable the department to identify or extract information specifically on neurodivergent staff.

The department keeps the content of the SWC under regular review to ensure it meets user needs while minimising administrative burdens on schools. The department has not made a specific assessment of the merits of introducing a separate data field for neurodivergence. Any proposal to do so would require careful consideration of data quality, staff disclosure rates and the impact on schools and employers.

The department will continue to consider opportunities to improve its understanding of workforce diversity.

Teacher numbers in the Shropshire local authority increased slightly year on year. The department’s latest data reported that there were 2,137 teachers in 2025/26 compared to 2,131 in 2024/25.

Nationally, we have achieved over 71% of our 6,500 additional teachers target. There are 4,654 more teachers in 2025/26 compared with 2024/25, including 3,008 more teachers in secondary and special schools and 1,646 more teachers in further education.

The latest School Workforce Census also reported the lowest leaver rate (8.5%) outside the pandemic and a record number of teachers (17,740) returning to the classroom.

By September 2027, school teachers will have seen an increase in their pay of 17% since this government took power, and we are taking action to tackle poor pupil behaviour, reduce high workload and improve wellbeing to encourage even more teachers to stay in the profession.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

Effective early identification and support is critical to improving outcomes for all children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), including those with autism.

We have proposed the introduction of National Inclusion Standards, which will support education settings to identify and respond to needs earlier and more consistently, drawing on a broad range of evidence and professional expertise, so that all children and young people can receive the support they need to achieve and thrive.

The National Inclusion Standards will be underpinned by a £200 million training package to ensure that all teachers, educators, teaching assistants, support staff and leaders across early years, schools and post-16 settings can be trained to support pupils with SEND, and a new investment of £3.7 billion to drive more inclusive school estates and create additional specialist places.

We will continue to engage closely with young people, parents and professionals as we develop our reforms and how they will work in practice. The department also engages with the devolved governments at ministerial and official level on a range of areas covering education, skills and family policies and will continue to do so.

The department supports Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts through the funding arrangements agreed when contracts were signed. This includes revenue support grant funding (RSG) paid to local authorities over the contract term. RSG funding forms part of the overall affordability package for these projects, alongside contributions from local authorities and schools.

Further support is provided through the schools national funding formula PFI factor, and Slough will receive £1.1 million in the 2026/27 financial year through the PFI factor.

The department works with local authorities to assess affordability, determine appropriate levels of support and review PFI factor funding.

Education is a devolved matter, and the response outlines the information for England only.

School-aged pupils should learn foundational knowledge that underpins artificial intelligence (AI) literacy and numeracy through computing and mathematics curricula. Work is underway on a new curriculum and assessment system that is ambitious for every child, rich in knowledge and strong on skills. The new curriculum will be subject to consultation.

The department also funds direct support to teachers. Our 40 Regional Improvement for Standards and Excellence maths hubs deliver free, local support to teachers from over half of primary and secondary schools in England every year, covering from reception up to GCSE in post-16 institutions. To support the teaching of AI, the National Centre for Computing Education, funded by the department, delivers a range of free and flexible online courses to equip teachers with the knowledge to embed age-appropriate teaching of AI into computing lessons.

In addition, post-16 institutions are required to support students aged 16 to 19 who have not yet achieved a GCSE mathematics grade 4 to make progress towards Level 2.

The Adzuna report provides one indicator of conditions in the market for advertised graduate roles. The department considers that evidence from a range of sources should be used to establish the full picture of graduate outcomes and the wider labour market.

Updated research from the Institute of Fiscal Studies and the 2026 Longitudinal Education Outcomes data shows that higher education continues to offer good value for money for most students, with graduates expected to be on average around £100,000 better off over their lifetime than someone who does not go to university. It also shows that rates of individuals in sustained employment, further study, or both remain consistently higher amongst graduates than amongst those with no higher level qualification, across all combinations of subject area, gender and prior GCSE attainment.

The government wants to make sure that children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) can receive the support they need to achieve and thrive in their local school, but we know that there will always be a vital role for special schools and specialist post-16 provision for children with the most complex needs.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to provide sufficient school places, including for pupils with SEND.

The department is supporting local authorities by investing at least £3.7 billion in high needs capital funding between 2025/26 and 2029/30, to support local authorities to provide places for children and young people with SEND or those requiring alternative provision.  We expect that local authorities will prioritise investing this funding in specialist bases in mainstream schools to achieve a more inclusive system overall, but there will still be some areas where new special school places are needed.

As part of the school capacity survey 2025, Worcestershire Local Authority submitted information on school capacity and forecasts of the number of pupils that the local authority expects to provide a mainstream school place for. This data is published at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity/2024-25.

As part of this release, modelled estimates of future school place demand at planning area and Local Authority level are also published. This data is available at: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-capacity/2024-25.

The department estimates that in the 2029/30 academic year, there will be 8,364 spare primary places and 5,665 spare secondary places in Worcestershire. Please note that viewing surpluses at local authority level data may mask shortfalls in planning areas within the local authority.

It is for local authorities, in collaboration with academy trusts and other local partners, to balance the supply and demand of school places in line with changing demographics.

The current PE national curriculum requires all primary pupils to be taught to swim competently and confidently over 25 metres, use a range of strokes effectively, and perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

The government accepted the recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, which recognised the benefits of PE while identifying a need for greater clarity, consistency and progression across the curriculum, including in swimming and water safety. In response, the department is developing a revised PE programme of study, which will be subject to consultation.

The reforms will strengthen the emphasis on swimming and water safety and will be supported through the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, drawing on expertise from organisations including Swim England.

The department has not made a specific assessment of recruitment and retention among those delivering curriculum swimming. However, the School and College Voice survey published in May 2025 found that 94% of primary schools surveyed relied solely on external teachers to teach swimming and water safety, compared with 6% using internal swimming staff and 20% supporting delivery. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-and-college-voice-omnibus-surveys-for-2024-to-2025/school-and-college-voice-may-2025#sec-Swimming-and-water-safety.

The department has not made a formal assessment of the merits of introducing regional variations in summer holiday dates.

School holidays are not determined at national level and are decided locally by trusts, schools and local authorities, depending on the school type.

The department encourages collaboration between schools, trusts and local authorities in the setting of term dates to minimise any disruption or inconvenience to families. In doing so, they should consider the importance of regular school attendance to children’s attainment, wellbeing and wider development.

The department will keep this policy area under review, including considerations of the impacts of different approaches to school holiday arrangements.

The department has not made a formal assessment of the merits of introducing regional variations in summer holiday dates.

School holidays are not determined at national level and are decided locally by trusts, schools and local authorities, depending on the school type.

The department encourages collaboration between schools, trusts and local authorities in the setting of term dates to minimise any disruption or inconvenience to families. In doing so, they should consider the importance of regular school attendance to children’s attainment, wellbeing and wider development.

The department will keep this policy area under review, including considerations of the impacts of different approaches to school holiday arrangements.

The department has not made a formal assessment of the merits of introducing regional variations in summer holiday dates.

School holidays are not determined at national level and are decided locally by trusts, schools and local authorities, depending on the school type.

The department encourages collaboration between schools, trusts and local authorities in the setting of term dates to minimise any disruption or inconvenience to families. In doing so, they should consider the importance of regular school attendance to children’s attainment, wellbeing and wider development.

The department will keep this policy area under review, including considerations of the impacts of different approaches to school holiday arrangements.

The current PE national curriculum requires all primary pupils to be taught to swim competently and confidently over 25 metres, use a range of strokes effectively, and perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

The government accepted the recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, which recognised the benefits of PE while identifying a need for greater clarity, consistency and progression across the curriculum, including in swimming and water safety. In response, the department is developing a revised PE programme of study, which will be subject to consultation.

The reforms will strengthen the emphasis on swimming and water safety and will be supported through the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, drawing on expertise from organisations including Swim England.

The department has not made a specific assessment of recruitment and retention among those delivering curriculum swimming. However, the School and College Voice survey published in May 2025 found that 94% of primary schools surveyed relied solely on external teachers to teach swimming and water safety, compared with 6% using internal swimming staff and 20% supporting delivery. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-and-college-voice-omnibus-surveys-for-2024-to-2025/school-and-college-voice-may-2025#sec-Swimming-and-water-safety.

The current PE national curriculum requires all primary pupils to be taught to swim competently and confidently over 25 metres, use a range of strokes effectively, and perform safe self-rescue in different water-based situations.

The government accepted the recommendations of the Curriculum and Assessment Review, which recognised the benefits of PE while identifying a need for greater clarity, consistency and progression across the curriculum, including in swimming and water safety. In response, the department is developing a revised PE programme of study, which will be subject to consultation.

The reforms will strengthen the emphasis on swimming and water safety and will be supported through the new PE and School Sport Partnerships Network, drawing on expertise from organisations including Swim England.

The department has not made a specific assessment of recruitment and retention among those delivering curriculum swimming. However, the School and College Voice survey published in May 2025 found that 94% of primary schools surveyed relied solely on external teachers to teach swimming and water safety, compared with 6% using internal swimming staff and 20% supporting delivery. Further information is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/school-and-college-voice-omnibus-surveys-for-2024-to-2025/school-and-college-voice-may-2025#sec-Swimming-and-water-safety.