A Father's Fear: Will the Government's SEND Plan Repeat Past Mistakes?
I read the government’s recent £3 billion announcement on SEND with a familiar, heavy feeling. As a dad who has navigated this system with my son, and as someone now working in disability advocacy, I see a glaring gap between well-meaning headlines and the reality on the ground. This isn't just policy to me; it’s my child’s life, and the lives of thousands like him.
Our journey is a case study in what works and what fails. For years, my son was stuck in mainstream education, where he was progressively sidelined. He wasn’t “included”; he was just present, often isolated and struggling. The move to a SEND Hub was a lifeline—it boosted his education and confidence dramatically. But even there, the model showed its flaws. When the Hub tried to integrate him into mainstream classes, it didn’t end well. The attitudes of some other children, reflecting prejudices learned elsewhere, made him a target. He ended up isolated with a small group of six or eight pupils, perpetually separated from the wider school community.
His true flourishing came only when he moved to a dedicated, specialist SEND school. There, he didn’t just progress academically; his social skills and personal confidence blossomed. Why? Because every staff member—from teachers and teaching assistants to counsellors—had specific SEND training. The environment was holistic, even incorporating emotional support animals. It was a world designed for him to succeed, not just to cope.
This is why the government’s new plan fills me with profound concern.
This is a big grant, and it’s capable of making a positive difference. But there are a lot of knackered school buildings out there, and so it’s a small fraction of government’s wider capital investment in schools.
And when you stack it up against previous SEND capital grants and adjust for inflation, it’ll be a bit smaller per year than the SEND system had earlier this decade.
The Human Crisis
However, the most alarming part for me, both as a parent and an disability advocate, is the deafening silence on the human crisis. The deeper analysis highlights what we already know: a catastrophic national shortage of specialist teachers, therapists, and educational psychologists. My son flourished because of trained humans, not just a building. What good is a new “calm space” if there’s no one with the expertise to work in it? This plan invests in bricks and mortar while the workforce foundation crumbles. It is setting up children and dedicated staff to fail.
The government’s shift is understandable in light of rising SEND numbers and falling overall rolls. But it is a high-stakes gamble with our children’s futures. The delay of the full reform plan (white paper) to Spring 2026 only adds to the anxiety; we’re being asked to trust a fragment of a strategy.
We must not confuse proximity with inclusion, or buildings with support.
I read the government’s recent £3 billion announcement on SEND with a familiar, heavy feeling. As a dad who has navigated this system with my son, and as someone now working in disability advocacy, I see a glaring gap between well-meaning headlines and the reality on the ground. This isn't just policy to me; it’s my child’s life, and the lives of thousands like him.
His true flourishing came only when he moved to a dedicated, specialist SEND school. There, he didn’t just progress academically; his social skills and personal confidence blossomed. Why? Because every staff member—from teachers and teaching assistants to counsellors—had specific SEND training. The environment was holistic, even incorporating emotional support animals. It was a world designed for him to succeed, not just to cope.
This is why the government’s new plan fills me with profound concern.
The £3 billion investment, while substantial, pivots decisively towards creating “specialist places” within mainstream schools, not building new specialist schools. On paper, it promises inclusion. From my lived experience, I see the risk of recreating the very silos that failed my son at the Hub.
The government claims their goal is “specialist, calm learning spaces” inside mainstream schools where children can integrate for appropriate lessons and activities. But as charities like IPSEA and Contact have rightly warned, without crystal-clear standards and immense care, these units risk becoming isolated ghettos. Will the children there ever truly mix, or will they be the “other” kids down the corridor? The plan’s success hinges on genuine inclusion, but my family has already lived through a version where it meant isolation.
Furthermore, the cancellation of 58 planned special free schools sends a chilling message to families of children with the most complex needs. The government says it will provide equivalent funding or places, but as the leader of Herefordshire Council stated, alternative funding can fall “far short of what is required.” This feels like a dilution of specialist provision, masking a retreat from building the expert environments some children desperately need.
Furthermore, the cancellation of 58 planned special free schools sends a chilling message to families of children with the most complex needs. The government says it will provide equivalent funding or places, but as the leader of Herefordshire Council stated, alternative funding can fall “far short of what is required.” This feels like a dilution of specialist provision, masking a retreat from building the expert environments some children desperately need.
These grant’s may not be new money.
The last government allocated around £3 billion of SEND capital grants between 2018 and 2025. The current government doled out a £740 million SEND capital grant for the current financial year that runs from April 2025 to March 2026.
We don’t know how long this new grant will run for. But it is reasonable to assume that it runs over four years - from April 2026 to March 2030 - because that’s the timeframe that government has used to allocate capital investment under its Spending Review.
Below is a graph to illustrate things more simply, showing previous, current and projected SEND capital grants. Without any other government information available, we have to assume that the new £3 billion gets doled out in equally-sized chunks over four years.
SEND Capital Funding, 2018-2030
Real terms, 2025 prices (CPI deflator, ONS forecast)
Not as big as it seems! Actually - it's small cuts year on year!
We don’t know how long this new grant will run for. But it is reasonable to assume that it runs over four years - from April 2026 to March 2030 - because that’s the timeframe that government has used to allocate capital investment under its Spending Review.
Below is a graph to illustrate things more simply, showing previous, current and projected SEND capital grants. Without any other government information available, we have to assume that the new £3 billion gets doled out in equally-sized chunks over four years.
Real terms, 2025 prices (CPI deflator, ONS forecast)
Not as big as it seems! Actually - it's small cuts year on year!
This is a big grant, and it’s capable of making a positive difference. But there are a lot of knackered school buildings out there, and so it’s a small fraction of government’s wider capital investment in schools.
And when you stack it up against previous SEND capital grants and adjust for inflation, it’ll be a bit smaller per year than the SEND system had earlier this decade.
The Human Crisis
However, the most alarming part for me, both as a parent and an disability advocate, is the deafening silence on the human crisis. The deeper analysis highlights what we already know: a catastrophic national shortage of specialist teachers, therapists, and educational psychologists. My son flourished because of trained humans, not just a building. What good is a new “calm space” if there’s no one with the expertise to work in it? This plan invests in bricks and mortar while the workforce foundation crumbles. It is setting up children and dedicated staff to fail.
We must not confuse proximity with inclusion, or buildings with support.
True inclusion requires a fundamental shift in culture, attitude, and resource—starting with the adults in the room. We need a guarantee that this new model will be backed by a mandatory national workforce plan and enforceable standards to prevent segregation.
As a father, I want every child to have the chance to thrive in their local community. But my son’s story tells me that for many, that can only happen with access to intense, specialist expertise. This £3 billion must build bridges to true inclusion, not just recreate the sidelines. Let’s learn from past mistakes, not institutionalise them. Our children deserve a system that delivers on the promise of support, not just the politics of placement.
Our children deserve real hope too, don't they?
As a father, I want every child to have the chance to thrive in their local community. But my son’s story tells me that for many, that can only happen with access to intense, specialist expertise. This £3 billion must build bridges to true inclusion, not just recreate the sidelines. Let’s learn from past mistakes, not institutionalise them. Our children deserve a system that delivers on the promise of support, not just the politics of placement.
Our children deserve real hope too, don't they?
Sources:
IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice) https://share.google/gDFUlvgC2FSzYJn5Q
GMB Union https://share.google/DuiFtwr9RNWx1XsBT
Schools week
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/nightmare-before-christmas-46-free-school-projects-scrapped-and-58-special-schools-in-limbo/
https://schoolsweek.co.uk/nightmare-before-christmas-46-free-school-projects-scrapped-and-58-special-schools-in-limbo/
CONTACT (charity)
https://share.google/ZgUIGR3Hgtn89KnDI
CYPN (Children and Young People Now) https://share.google/uLCvD6fQsBSQoeteG
PolicyMogul https://share.google/SORn1UOZDfdTqFn26
TES
https://www.tes.com/magazine/news/specialist-sector/3bn-mainstream-send-places-special-free-schools-face-uncertainty
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