Ministers finally published their special educational needs and disabilities improvement plan today, three years after the SEND review was first launched.
The government has pledged to go ahead with most major reforms. However a £70 million “change programme” – which will run for two to three years – will pilot proposed changes first, before they are finalised (full story here).
Nine regional expert partnerships, made up of three to four local authorities, will take part in the trial, reaching around 30 areas at first. It could increase to 50 to 60 areas during the programme.
The Department for Education will then decide on whether to go ahead with legislating proposed changes, and what they would look like. But it means finishing off many of the reforms has been punted beyond the next election.
