Leading with Purpose in a Time of SEND Reform

The government SEND reform: putting children and young people first consultation has now closed. Many of us worked hard to consult, discuss, and carefully shape responses. It felt like an important opportunity to influence meaningful change for our children and young people. So, we put other work priorities to one side; to try and influence the way policy will head in the future, because we deeply care about the future of children in our country. The stakes feel high and we have something to offer, insight from what we have seen fail, and what we know, from our collective experience, works.

Those of us that have been in schools recently know only too well that the current system isn’t working, that families have to jump through so many hoops to get the support their child needs to thrive in school. We don’t want this for future families and children. Will the reforms be enough, will everyone get the change they want? As the saying goes, you can’t please everyone all of the time. It is unlikely that the outcomes will meet every expectation. And yet, as the consultation closes, many of us are left reflecting. There is a mix of uncertainty, cautious hope and for some, a real sense of fatigue.

Building on what already works

One of the important messages I am holding onto after speaking to many stakeholders about the reforms is that they do not arrive on a blank slate. Across the country there is already strong, thoughtful, inclusive practice taking place. Many schools and colleges are, in effect, inclusive by design, they are:

  • Adapting teaching to meet a wider range of needs
  • Strengthening early identification and graduated responses
  • Building deeper partnerships with families
  • Creating environments where belonging matters as much as attainment

So, in many ways the reform reflects what effective settings are already striving to achieve. This matters, because for many leaders the work is not about starting again, it is about recognising, refining, and scaling what is already working in their schools and trusts. However, I appreciate, that acknowledging this does not make the leadership challenge less complex! School leaders are having to navigate increasing demand and range of needs, workforce and capacity constraints, accountability systems which don’t align neatly with inclusive practice, and a landscape of change which lacks clarity. Oh, and the little job of keeping schools and colleges functioning daily!

Moving from policy to practice

This is where leadership matters the most. Responding to the SEND reforms will not be about producing a new document or strategy in isolation but aligning existing priorities with emerging expectations. There will be a role in ensuring staff don’t feel overwhelmed but supported, and a need to keep focus on classroom practice and continue to listen carefully to the voices of children, young people, and families.

Reassurance in a time of change

It would be understandable for school leaders to feel a sense of “what next?” Like many I have been around long enough to have experienced multiple waves of change over my career. But in reality, many settings are closer than they think. The language may shift and structure evolve but at the heart of the work, knowing children and young people well, building relationships and adapting our teaching remains constant.

Collective conversation

It feels particularly important at this moment that the conversation about SEND reform continues, and not in isolation but, it brings together:

  • School and college leaders
  • he specialist sector
  • Families and young people
  • System leaders, policy makers, and commissioners
  • Healthcare providers and other specialists

Each perspective can add depth, challenge and the realism needed to make reforms happen well. Together, they can help move the conversation from abstract policy to lived experience. How better to learn than by listening to those that have lived or are living it!

Final thoughts

I am sure the SEND reform will continue to evolve, polices will change and guidance will be updated. But the core question for those in schools and colleges everyday will remain the same: ‘How do we create a system where every child and young person in our setting feels seen, supported and able to succeed?’ If we keep this question at the centre of our work, reform will be less about compliance and more about purpose, the reason many of us chose this profession in the first place. And if we keep that sense of purpose at the centre, we create the conditions where every child knows they truly matter.

Alison Betts

National Coordinator

Whole School SEND, nasen

Continuing the Dialogue

These are some of the themes we will be exploring further in an upcoming Whole School SEND webinar:

‘Exploring Inclusive Practice under the SEND Reforms’

Date: June 25 2026

Time: 3:30 – 5PM

Book here: https://www.wholeschoolsend.org.uk/events/exploring-inclusive-practice-under-send-reforms

I do hope you can join us to continue the professional conversation