05 March 2026
Dear Parents and Carers,
You may be aware that recently, the Department for Education published a significant new White Paper, “Every Child Achieving and Thriving,” alongside a consultation titled “Putting Children and Young People First.”
These documents outline the Government’s long-term vision for the future of education in England, with a particularly strong focus on transforming support for children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. The new legislation will not commence until September 2029. Until that time, the current system will stay in place.
At Erdington Academy and across the Fairfax Multi Academy Trust family, our priority is – and always will be – the success and wellbeing of your children. We welcome the Government’s commitment to making the system more inclusive and ensuring that support is available to children and families more quickly and consistently.
We wanted to take the opportunity to reassure you while the national framework is evolving, our commitment to your children remains constant. We care deeply about all children who attend our schools. Our colleagues already adapt daily to support every area of need, and this dedicated approach will continue. Whether your child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) or is supported through our mainstream inclusive school offer, they will continue to receive timely, expert support from our entire team in consultation with you and the relevant specialist agencies.
To reassure families who may be concerned about what this means for specialist school places and EHCPs, the Secretary of State for Education, Bridget Phillipson, has been clear that the aim is to be supportive:
“Children who can thrive in mainstream education should have every opportunity to do so. Those who need specialist provision should receive it without delay.”
What the Government’s proposal aims to deliver:
Detailed below are some of the key components of the Government’s plan.
- High quality teaching for everyone: Every school and nursery will follow new “National Inclusion Standards” to make sure all children get high-quality support as soon as they need it. Also supported by investment in high quality training for schools to support the needs of the pupils they serve.
- Quicker access to specialists: Working closely with our health colleagues to improve access to experts for example, speech and language and educational psychologists, so help is available sooner.
- Review of layered support and clearer Individual Support Plans: The new system aims to make sure parents are well informed and your children are always in the right place at
- the right time. As stated by Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, ‘Children can move straight to the level of support that matches their needs, including Targeted Plus or Specialist, without delay.’
‘Targeted and Targeted Plus’ will use school-based digital Individual Support Plans (ISP) and see every council working with health boards to commission local professionals, so they become more routinely available in the area.
The ‘Specialist’ stage will become the new style Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) underpinned by specialist provision packages. Following legislation, children with an existing EHCP will be assessed and either move to a specialist provision package or keep their EHCP until moving to the next phase of education where they will receive an Individual Support Package.
Parents and carers should be reassured that we are already in an exceptionally good position to deliver these proposals. We have long-established, positive working relationships with health services that already support our high standards of care. We are encouraged by the Government’s direction of travel, which seeks to relieve the pressure on parents and schools alike by creating a more joined-up system of health, care and education.
We will be participating in the national consultation to ensure our school’s expertise and your children’s voices are represented. We understand that news of “reform” can sometimes feel uncertain. Please be assured that our door is always open. We are here to navigate these changes alongside you, ensuring that every child in our care continues to receive the dedicated support they deserve.
We will share further details as the consultation progresses. In the meantime, if you have any immediate questions regarding your child’s support, please do not hesitate to contact Mrs Hiller our SENDCo. We are here for you; we will navigate these changes together.
Yours sincerely
S Mallett
Principal
