National SEND Reforms and how these affect local plans

We know that changes to SEND services can feel worrying and sometimes confusing for families. There is a lot of information about national reforms and local plans, and it is not always clear how these fit together. This page aims to explain what is changing, what is staying the same, and how we are continuing to support families in Hertfordshire.

What are the National SEND Reforms?

The government is reviewing how support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is delivered across England, with planned national reforms to create a clearer, fairer and more consistent system. These changes aim to improve access to support, strengthen early help, and ensure services work better together across education, health and care.

While these reforms are being developed, there are no changes to current SEND law, and children and young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will continue to receive the support set out in their plans. Before any changes to SEND law can happen, there are several steps the government must complete. Because of this, we expect changes to the law to happen no earlier than 2029.

Hertfordshire's SEND Strategy 2026-29

Hertfordshire has its own strategy for 2026-29 which sets out what we want to improve locally over the next 3 years. The strategy was developed in partnership with colleagues across health, education and social care, and was co-produced with parents, carers, children and young people. It focuses on improving outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND and their families.

We are delivering this strategy through 3 key plans:

SEND Strategy Action Plan 2026-29

This plan sets out the actions we are taking to deliver our SEND Strategy. It was launched in Spring 2026, before the national reforms were proposed, and already focuses on many of the same priorities - such as early support and joined-up services.

SEND Reform Plan

All local areas were asked by the Department for Education to submit a plan showing how they will respond to the national SEND reforms. Our SEND Reform Plan was submitted on 19 June 2026 and we are currently awaiting feedback. The SEND Reform Plan sets out how we will meet the expectations of the national reforms and continue to improve local services. Many of the actions in this plan were already included in our SEND Strategy. This means we are already making progress in areas that align with the national direction of travel.

SEND Provision Plan 2026-29

Our SEND Provision Plan focuses on strengthening support available locally, particularly within mainstream education. It has been developed with families, schools, health partners and over 400 children and young people. The plan focuses on earlier help for children and young people, enhancing the support available through mainstream schools, and increasing specialist provision where it is needed by creating 1,150 new specialist places by 2029.

How this all fits together

Although the national SEND reforms are still being finalised, Hertfordshire is already making improvements through the 3 action plans in our SEND Strategy. Our local vision closely aligns with the direction of the national reforms, with a shared focus on improving outcomes and support for children and young people with SEND.

This means:

We are improving services now and not waiting for national changes
Our local plans are aligned with future reforms
Support for children and young people will continue throughout

So your child or young person will continue to receive support while these improvements are put in place.

How will these plans be affected by Local Government Reform (LGR)?

Alongside the national reforms, the government has also set out plans for wider local government reform across England. The Government has asked the 11 council leaders in Hertfordshire to work together and come up with a joint plan for how local government could be reshaped to better serve our communities.

In November 2025, Hertfordshire’s 11 councils, along with the Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner, jointly submitted three unitary model proposals for the Government to consider.

The Government are now reviewing the proposed models and we should hear their decision in Summer 2026.

At this stage:

there are no immediate changes to how SEND services are delivered in Hertfordshire
support for children and young people will continue as it is now

We are working closely with partners to understand any future changes and to make sure that:

services remain joined up across education, health and care
support for families is consistent and easy to access
improvements set out in our SEND Strategy continue

We will share more information on this as soon as we are able to.