School leaders’ union NAHT today (Sat 2 May) reveals the results of a snap poll of its members that shows support for the reforms set out by the government in its recent White Paper, but serious concerns over their deliverability without urgent additional resource.
Nearly two thirds of respondents (63%) said they were broadly supportive of the proposals for reform of the SEND system.
However, more than three quarters (80%) said that the suggested timescales for curriculum and SEND reforms were unfeasible, and 86% said that their school would not have the capacity to implement the SEND reforms effectively with the proposed training and investment.
The survey also revealed strong support for some of the other proposed reforms included in the White Paper, including:
The vast majority (98%) in favour of an improved complaints process, 87% supporting a new enrichment framework and entitlement for every child, and 85% supporting a new model for targeting disadvantage funding, potentially using income data rather than the eligibility for free school meals.
When asked what would be most important to support schools to deliver the White Paper proposals, the vast majority of respondents said that increased funding would be required, with 92% calling for increased school funding, 90% for increased SEND-specific funding, and 73% for increased funding for health and social care services for children and families.
83% said reducing the high stakes associated with inspection and accountability would be necessary.
Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, addressed members’ concerns at the union’s Annual Conference in Belfast this weekend, saying:
“Credit where it is due: the UK government’s education White Paper sets a vision for education that we have not seen for well over a decade. We have a government that is going beyond acknowledging the send crisis and is grasping the nettle of reform.
“I congratulate the government for this – the promises represent much of what the profession has been crying out for. But it’s the delivery that worries me.
“The government has already allocated additional funding to back these reforms, but as prices rise and the basic costs of running a school soar, I am not convinced that the worthy ambitions of the white paper will be realistic unless additional funding is made available.
"As these findings from our membership show, far more needs to be done to reassure school leaders that the reforms can truly work – crucially, additional investment will be vital. Schools can’t simply be told to educate more children and young people with higher needs without significant extra resource.
“No one wants these reforms to fail. It is children and young people who will suffer if they do. School leaders are totally committed to doing everything in their power to deliver the changes to come, but they need the backing of funding and specialist services to succeed.”
Hundreds of school leader delegates at NAHT’s Annual Conference in Belfast will today (Sat 2 May) vote on a motion calling for sufficient resources, staffing, funding and training to deliver SEND reform and more inclusion in mainstream schools.
Delegates will have further voted on a motion (likely heard on Friday 1 May) calling for two additional INSET days to support schools implementing and embedding the government’s ambitions for SEND and curriculum reform.
Delegates will also vote on a motion for increased funding that is fully sufficient to support the delivery of curriculum and qualification reforms and reform timelines that are manageable, allowing schools the capacity to plan, staff and implement change effectively.
NAHT’s survey was conducted in April 2026 and received 271 responses.
