Children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will be the focus of a new taskforce which hopes to improve provision in schools.

The latest development comes after the government announced an overhaul of special needs education for children – which has been met with fear and anger from some parents and campaigners.

One particular concern is that education, health and care plans (EHCPs) – a legally-binding document outlining the needs of a child and what support is required to meet those needs – could be restricted to specialist schools or scrapped completely.

The process of obtaining an EHCP is not simple – and involves local authorities, health and social care teams, and education settings working together. Many parents also have to fight hard to get this level of support for their children.

As of January 2025, almost 640,000 children were relying on these plans for individual support – up by 10.8% in the last year – but as demand for them has risen, schools and councils have struggled to keep up.

The expense has also risen. Central government funding for high needs currently totals nearly £11 billion, with forecasts suggesting annual spending will rise by at least £2-3 billion between now and 2028, according to the

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