Cornwall MPs Respond to SEND White Paper Reforms

Cornwall’s MPs have responded after the Government unveiled sweeping reforms to the SEND system, promising new legal rights for children and major investment in support across every school.

The changes, set out in a new Schools White Paper, include a legal requirement for schools to create Individual Support Plans for all children with special educational needs and disabilities.

New legal right to Individual Support Plans

Under the proposals, thousands of children in Cornwall will gain a new entitlement to an Individual Support Plan. Every plan will be based on a national framework of actions schools can take, personalised by teachers and specialists.

The Government says the reforms, backed by £4 billion of investment in SEND support, are designed to end what it describes as a one size fits all system.

Education, Health and Care Plans will be retained and improved, offering a wider legal entitlement for children who need more intensive or complex support than schools can routinely provide.

A series of transitional protections has also been announced:

• Every child who has a special school place in 2029 will keep it if they want it until they finish education.

• Children in mainstream with an EHCP who may in future be supported through an ISP will only begin transitioning from 2030, once the new system is fully built, and only as they naturally move between phases such as primary to secondary.

• ISPs will be in place for children transitioning from an EHCP before they move to the new system, so there is no break in support.

No child currently in year 3 or above will move on to an ISP if they do not want to until the end of secondary school.

Cornwall MPs respond

Anna Gelderd, Member of Parliament for South East Cornwall, said:

“I know just how important addressing issues for our young people with SEND is for people in South East Cornwall. For far too long, SEND provision has been ignored, and the system hasn’t been fit for purpose. This needs to change.

“That’s why it is great that the Labour Government has put forward plans to end the postcode lottery for SEND support, which will go a long way towards supporting areas like ours.

“I have met the Minister for Children and Families Josh MacAlister OBE MP to discuss issues that parents in South East Cornwall have raised with me, and I’ll keep making sure that local concerns are recognised in Westminster. I welcome the action the Government has taken, which makes good progress in addressing the needs of families I have been speaking with.”

Jayne Kirkham, Member of Parliament for Truro and Falmouth, said:

“Children in Cornwall have been let down for over a decade by a system that hasn’t provided enough support for pupils or for schools. Families have had to fight for support, which has generally come far too late, if at all.

“These reforms will make sure that support is there much earlier, without the battle. There will be extra funding, more training, and more specialists to hold and support children when they need it.

“The current system is so broken, and everyone has been damaged by it. We know that it will take a long time to fix and improve. But this is a serious, well thought out attempt to do that, and I will throw my weight behind it.

“I want to start engaging with families and professionals on the proposals in the White Paper immediately. I will be holding round tables to gather Cornish perspectives. Please contact my office at [email protected] to join.”

Noah Law, Member of Parliament for St Austell and Newquay, said:

“In case anyone was in doubt over the Labour Government’s support for Cornish students, this £4bn of investment in SEND funding is greatly welcome, and comes on top of the tens of millions of pounds of SEND debt that the Government is cancelling from Cornwall Council’s balance sheet.”

Perran Moon, Member of Parliament for Camborne, Redruth and Hayle, said:

“Inclusion has always been at the heart of this Labour Government’s SEND strategy, and that has never been more clear than with this announcement – delivering specialist support for every child in Cornwall who needs it. Ensuring that giving every child the best possible start in life, without the ‘fight’ for rights that was the result of the system we inherited from the Conservatives, has been a priority for me since I was elected and I am proud to be part of the Government that has finally allowed children, schools and professionals to work together – not against each other. I will be engaging with families and professionals as soon as possible on the proposals in the White Paper to ensure that the work that is done by the Government continues to place children first.”

What else is changing?

Wider reforms outlined in the White Paper include:

• EHCPs and ISPs being digitised to reduce bureaucracy and increase transparency.

• An updated school complaints process, with an independent SEND expert added to complaints panels where there are concerns about granting or content of an ISP.

• A new Specialist Provision Package model for EHCPs, designed to improve quality and consistency of support.

• Draft packages to be published later this year to guide provision in mainstream and special schools.

• Independent special schools brought under a new regulatory regime to ensure they deliver support set out in the packages at a fair and reasonable price.

Parents will continue to have access to the SEND Tribunal as a legal backstop and retain the right to appeal decisions about assessment, support packages and school placements. The consultation says strengthened mediation services and an improved complaints process should help resolve concerns earlier.

The White Paper also sets out further funding commitments, including:

• £200 million to train teachers and support staff in SEND.

• A £1.6 billion inclusion grant to fund programmes such as small group speech and language support.

• £3.7 billion to create more than 60,000 specialist places, with the expectation that in time every secondary school will have an inclusion base.

• £1.8 billion for “Experts at Hand” to provide additional support such as educational psychologists.

Consultation open until 18th May 2026

North Cornwall MP Ben Maguire has also responded, welcoming the launch of the consultation on the White Paper reforms and urging families to take part.

The consultation runs until 18th May 2026 and responses can be submitted online, by email or by post.

Ben said:

“My team and I have dealt with hundreds of cases from constituents relating to the SEND provision, with some areas of the system in clear need of improvement. It’s essential that families and those working in SEND here in North Cornwall have their say as part of this important ongoing consultation.

“I would strongly encourage parents, schools and specialists here to take part and share their experiences, so that any reforms properly reflect the challenges faced by children and families in rural communities like ours.”

The Government says the reforms form part of a decade-long mission to create a fairer and more sustainable SEND system, with changes introduced gradually over the coming years.

Read the full proposals

Full details of the Government’s plans are set out in the Schools White Paper and SEND consultation document, published on 23rd February 2026.

You can read them here:

• White Paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving

• Consultation: SEND reform: putting children and young people first

• Fact and information sheets: School SEND reforms sheets