Gloucestershire County Council has welcomed a major government investment package aimed at improving support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
The government has announced £4 billion in national funding to help make schools more inclusive and improve outcomes for pupils with SEND. Under the plans, mainstream schools will receive a share of £1.6 billion over the next three years to strengthen inclusion, while a further £1.8 billion will aim to improve access to specialist external support.
A new 'layered system' will see education, health and care plans reserved for children with the most complex needs. For those with less complex needs, schools will introduce Individual Support Plans, guided by new national inclusion standards and a statutory duty to outline their approach to inclusion. The proposals are set out in the ‘Every Child Achieving and Thriving’ white paper and associated SEND consultation, with changes expected to take effect from 2029.
Gloucestershire enters the next phase of reform from what the council describes as a 'position of strength'. The county already has a well established Graduated Pathway, a SEND and Education Inclusion Strategy extended to September 2026 to align with national changes, and a multi agency SEND and Inclusion Local Area Partnership with active governance and a strong improvement plan.
Councillor Linda Cohen, cabinet member for education and skills, said: ‘We welcome these reforms and the additional funding that will strengthen the support available to families and schools. While this will not create a perfect system it is an important step toward ensuring more children can receive the specialist help they need in their local school.’
She added: ‘A critically important factor will be Gloucestershire’s funding settlement to deliver these reforms. Whilst we are positive about the range of measures set out, Gloucestershire has historically been poorly funded and we are looking to government to redress this inequity.’
The council said it will now work closely with schools, early years settings and families, including Gloucestershire’s Parent Carer Forum, to shape how the reforms are delivered locally.
