Starmer hosts meeting on reforming special educational needs and disabilities system

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson hosted a reception on Monday at Downing Street ahead of a roundtable meeting on the government's reforms to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system.

The meeting formed part of the rollout for a major SEND reform package that government ministers are launching this week, aimed at fixing a system they said is “broken.” The government is unveiling a £4 billion overhaul of the SEND system in England, part of a new white paper on education reform.

The reforms aim to make mainstream schools more inclusive by enhancing support for children with SEND earlier and more flexibly, rather than relying heavily on formal Education, Health and Care Plans as the only route to help.