Early Intervention, Lifelong Impact

The SEND system is at a critical juncture. Current demand far exceeds available resources, and the reliance on EHCPs as the primary pathway to support has created bottlenecks, leaving countless children and young people without the timely support they need to succeed. Earlier, timely intervention is essential to addressing these challenges and reducing the number of students needing high-intensity support. With a new Government Advisory Board poised to review the policy landscape and the Children’s Wellbeing Bill on the horizon, now is the time for bold reform. Drawing on our expertise and experience – as the largest provider of specialist provision in England – this report sets out five recommendations for a better SEND system, each built upon the principles of earlier and timely intervention to ensure every child gets the right support, at the right time.

Read the full report here

Five recommendations for a better SEND system

Redesign the EHCP process and implement a tiered assessment model

A reformed assessment system must integrate a redesigned EHCP process within a tiered model, creating a more responsive and efficient structure. The EHCP process should be streamlined and simplified, reserved for more severe SEND cases requiring comprehensive and specialist intervention.

At the same time, flexible, alternative assessment pathways must be introduced to address the full range of SEND needs.
The proposed tiered assessment model would include:

  • Baseline assessments: Conducted by trained educators in schools, these assessments would identify early-stage needs and provide immediate, low-level support.
  • Targeted assessments: Specialist interventions addressing specific challenges, allowing students to access focused support quickly.
  • Comprehensive assessments: Reserved for the most complex cases, requiring EHCPs and specialist input to deliver intensive, tailored support.

Deliver specialist SEND training to educators and embed it in teacher education

For nursery, primary and secondary school teachers, a core level of SEND training should be built into teacher training courses, enabling all teachers to play a critical role in delivering earlier, timely intervention. This training should equip teachers to assess and support children with a variety of SEND needs, including neurodiversity and trauma, reducing reliance on external, formal assessments. Schools should encourage teachers to engage in more specialist training as part of continuing professional development to ensure that quicker, tailored interventions can be delivered in mainstream settings where possible.

Expand flexible learning options by rolling out dedicated SEND units in mainstream schools

Building on the success of Callum Centres, the Government should roll out specialist SEND units within mainstream schools nationwide, providing flexible, integrated support for a range of SEND needs. These units would not only assist with SEMH and reintegration into education, but also support more complex clinical needs, including autism and mental health challenges.

By embedding specialist support in schools, these units can offer tailored interventions—such as therapeutic support and sensory regulation—while keeping students within their local school community, fostering a culture of real inclusion. This could also play a part in moving some Speech and Language Therapy services from the NHS and into schools, simplifying and destigmatising this critical intervention. Together, our ambition is that these changes can build confidence among parents engaging with the SEND system.

Partnering with expert SEND providers would ensure high-quality, scalable support that addresses both academic and emotional barriers, helping all SEND students thrive.

Support pupils to re-integrate into mainstream schools and develop academic and personal development performance metrics which encourage schools to engage more pupils with SEND

With effective changes to assessment and in-school support, formal policy interventions around reintegration can remain minimal, allowing flexibility to guide students’ transitions back to mainstream settings as naturally and seamlessly as possible. To help schools support SEND students to reintegrate, these students should be counted separately in attendance and attainment statistics to avoid unfairly punishing schools for fostering a more inclusive culture. Furthermore:

  • Reduce the number of high-stakes exams and offer more rolling assessments and teacher-led evaluations to reflect individual progress over time.
  • Integrate social and emotional skills, alongside academic outcomes, into progress measures to capture the full scope of SEND learners’ growth.
  • Leverage clinical tools, such as the Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System (ABAS), to complement academic assessments with measures of functional development.

Strengthen local SEND Information, Advice and Support Services for families

To ensure parents and carers feel confident in their ability to secure the support their child needs, Government should expand the range of support provided by SENDIAS services to support families navigating the system, and provide the necessary funding to do so. This service should be free and able to answer questions throughout the SEND process, from pre-assessment to the transition into adulthood, helping families to navigate local SEND systems when issues arise.

At the same time, Government should make concerted efforts to simplify the system, setting out clear steps for assessment and intervention and limiting use of technical jargon where it is not necessary.

Reforms should also ensure that parents and carers are continually supported and engaged with as their child’s needs evolve, recognising that families will most often understand their child’s needs best.