This page provides information about national SEND reforms, Bromley’s Local SEND Reform Plan, and how we are working with partners, children, young people and families to improve SEND services in Bromley.
The government has been considering changes to the SEND system in England as part of its wider programme of SEND reform. The aim is to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND, ensure support is more consistent across the country and is financially sustainable.
The proposed reforms focus on:
As part of these proposals, the government has suggested a graduated approach to support, alongside a continued role for Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) for children and young people with the most complex needs.
The national consultation has now closed and the government is considering feedback received from families, professionals and organisations across the country.
The national SEND reforms are still being considered, and no changes have been introduced locally at this time.
Children and young people who receive SEND Support or have an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) should continue to access support in the usual way.
Current SEND legislation and statutory rights remain in place.
Any future national changes would be introduced over time, and families would be kept informed of any developments. Changes to legislation are not expected before 2029.
Following the national SEND reform consultation, local areas were asked to develop a Local SEND Reform Plan setting out how the proposed reforms could be implemented locally and how services could work together to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
Bromley has worked closely with education, health, social care, parent and carer representatives, and other partners to develop its Local SEND Reform Plan. The plan has now been submitted to the Department for Education (DfE) and NHS England, and we are currently awaiting feedback.
The Local SEND Reform Plan builds on Bromley’s SEND Strategic Vision and Priorities, which sets out our shared ambition for every child and young person with SEND to achieve, belong and thrive within an inclusive education system and their wider community. The Local SEND Reform Plan helps to deliver this vision through continued collaboration across education, health and social care services.
The vision focuses on ensuring that children and young people with SEND:
The Local SEND Reform Plan provides an opportunity to strengthen and develop this work further, aligning local priorities with the proposed national reforms.
Alongside the Local SEND Reform Plan, Bromley has developed an action plan which identifies the key improvements and activities needed to help deliver our SEND Strategic Vision and Priorities.
The action plan will help us to:
The action plan will continue to develop as feedback is received and national policy evolves.
The Department for Education and NHS England are currently reviewing Local SEND Reform Plans submitted by local areas across England.
While Bromley awaits feedback, partners will continue working together to deliver improvements through the SEND Strategic Vision and Priorities and SEND reform action plan.
Any future developments relating to national SEND reforms will be shared through the Bromley SEND Local Offer.
Bromley Council remains committed to co-production, transparency and meaningful engagement with children and young people, parents, carers and professionals.
Although the Local SEND Reform Plan has now been submitted, there will continue to be opportunities to help shape SEND services and influence future improvements.
You can get involved by:
Your feedback helps us understand what is working well, identify where improvements are needed and shape future developments across Bromley’s SEND system.
Details of engagement opportunities will be shared through the Bromley SEND Local Offer website and social media channels.
Updates about SEND reforms, local SEND developments and opportunities to get involved will be shared through:
You can follow us on:
Please check back regularly and follow our social media channels to stay up to date with the latest news, developments and opportunities to get involved.
On 16 July, we held our second parent carer engagement session on SEND reforms in partnership with Bromley Parent Carer Forum.
The session provided an overview of the government’s Every Child Achieving and Thriving Schools White Paper, the SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First consultation, and Bromley’s SEND Reform Plan.
Parents and carers were able to ask questions relating to the SEND Reforms and what this means for you and your child.
The government has also published a recent update for parent and carers – What’s happening now to support children and young people with SEND in mainstream education.
More children and young people in Bromley are needing specialist SEND support, and there is increasing pressure on both mainstream schools and specialist placements. Current projections indicate insufficient capacity to meet future demand, resulting in increasing reliance on independent and out-of-borough placements.
As part of Bromley’s SEND Strategic Vision and priorities, Bromley Council is seeking to increase local specialist provision alongside increased capacity in mainstream settings.
Rivermead Inclusive Trust will open ‘Rivermead at Bromley’, a satellite provision of Rivermead School in January 2026. The school aims to create up to 100 additional specialist SEND places for pupils in Years 5–11 with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), whose needs include social communication differences, including autism, alongside associated social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs. The satellite will also host a Centre of Excellence for Autism, providing specialist outreach to settings and families across the Borough.
The new provision is expected to bring a number of benefits for children, young people and families, including:
Bromley Council keeps the needs for specialist placements and provision under review and through the Council’s school places commissioning plan provide analysis of need and develop plans for increasing capacity.
The government has proposed a new three-layer approach to help ensure children and young people receive the right support at the right time. The three levels are:
At this stage, these proposals are still being developed by the government and further details are expected as part of the SEND Reform programme.
While these reforms are being developed, there are no changes to current SEND legislation. Children and young people with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) will continue to receive the support set out in their plan.
Before any changes to SEND law can be introduced, there are several stages the government must complete. Because of this, changes to legislation are not expected before 2029.
Under the new system all children young people with SEND will have an individual support plan (ISP) at all levels e.g. Targeted, Targeted Plus and Specialist. We are awaiting further details from the Government about how any future changes would be managed.
Guidance on National Inclusion Standards and Specialist Funding packages have not been published yet by the government.
The government would like to improve accountability across the SEND system; this means making it clearer who is responsible for providing what support to a child or young person and what happens when things go wrong or are not working well enough.
The government has some suggestions for what this could include:
One of the aims of the SEND reforms is to help more young people with SEND move successfully into further education, training, employment and independent adulthood. The reforms recognise that some young people with SEND can face additional barriers when moving into adult life and are at greater risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). The reforms focus on improving inclusion, transition planning and support pathways for young people after the age of 16.
Key elements include a new three-layered approach to support (Targeted, Targeted Plus and Specialist). Read more about the three-layered approach.
The reforms also propose new level 1 stepping stone qualifications and expanded mental health support in colleges. Further details are still being developed by the government.
In addition, the government’s Post-16 Education and Skills White Paper, sets out further reforms to equip people (including those with SEND) with the skills and knowledge they need to thrive, and build a future-ready workforce.
In Bromley, Preparing for Adulthood remains a strategic priority and this is reflected in our SEND Reform Plan. We will:
Information about local SEND services, education, employment and support for young people and adults can be found through:
These channels provide information about local services, activities, support available, news updates, and opportunities to get involved.
Consultation will be undertaken with service users and other interested parties in September 2026, with an opportunity to provide views on the proposed closure of the Poverest Adult Education Centre and availability of Adult Education courses, including those for learners with learning disabilities.
Experts at Hand is a new way of helping schools access specialist advice and support earlier, so children can get help more quickly when they need it.
The model builds on Bromley’s established advisory, outreach, specialist teaching, therapy and inclusion services (including Educational Psychologists). It is not intended to duplicate or replace existing provision. Instead, it will align, enhance and extend current services through a single, coherent Experts at Hand offer. The model is based on three core principles:
At the core of the model is a single integrated access point, the Experts at Hand Hub, supported by targeted navigators and a multi-disciplinary workforce. The Hub will provide a “no wrong door” route into support, enabling settings to access timely, proportionate and coordinated specialist advice. Targeted navigators will support equitable access by engaging with settings where there is low engagement, rising demand or identified inclusion pressure.
The intention of the reforms is that earlier identification, better-trained staff and closer access to specialist expertise will reduce situations where needs are missed. However, parents will continue to play a vital role, and their views and knowledge of their child should remain central to decision-making.
If there is a difference of opinion between a school and a parent, parents will still have routes to raise concerns. These include discussing concerns with the class teacher, SENCO and school leadership team, using the school’s complaints procedure, and seeking support from services such as SEND Information, Advice and Support Services (Bromley IASS).
At this stage, the Reforms have not set a specific timescale for when a child in mainstream education would be seen by a qualified Educational Psychologist (EP). However, the aim is to improve access to specialist support, including educational psychologists and make sure children receive the right help at the right time.
Transition points, such as moving from primary to secondary school, have been highlighted as important stages where support and assessment may be needed, but the details are still being developed.
Educational psychologists would still have an important role, particularly where specialist psychological advice is needed. However, the aim is that children’s needs should be identified and assessed by a wider team of professionals, including school staff, SEND specialists, health professionals and other practitioners, rather than relying solely on an EP assessment.
The intention is to ensure children can access support more quickly, with specialist input provided when needed. The exact roles and responsibilities are still being developed as part of the reform programme.
The reforms aim to ensure that every teacher has a much stronger understanding of SEND and inclusive practice. The government has committed £200 million to SEND training and expects all education staff to receive SEND and inclusion training. The exact number of hours has not yet been confirmed nationally, but training is likely to include ongoing professional development delivered through a combination of national programmes and local specialist support. The aim is for all teachers to be confident in meeting a wider range of needs, while still having access to specialist SEND expertise when required.
Work is underway to seek authority to establish the Council-employed Experts at Hand roles and to agree the transfer of funding for therapy roles to South East London Integrated Care Board, enabling implementation of the Experts at Hand model set out in Bromley’s SEND Reform Plan. We envisage that recruitment will begin in August 2026.
The Bromley SEND Partnership has developed a Bromley SEND Training Programme. This framework provides a clear framework which identifies the competencies required for all SEND professionals, including EHCP Co- Ordinator’s.
The Bromley SEND Reform Plan sets out our workforce development approach within the context of SEND reforms, emphasising the need for a structured yet flexible framework. It highlights key considerations such as workforce capacity, capability, and long-term sustainability, alongside the importance of strong, multi-level leadership.
The SEND Workforce Strategy will be co-produced across all partners in Year 1 of our implementation plan.
Bromley’s approach to the SEND Reform Plan recognises the importance of workforce development, as a key enabler to the reforms. A multi-agency workstream will oversee the development of this area, including the arrangements for oversight, training and professional development. Professional supervision will be key in supporting specialist roles and trainees.
The UK government is funding the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) reforms through a dedicated £4 billion investment package over three years, alongside a multi-billion capital infrastructure program. This includes:
Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF): The IMF is a government grant for mainstream state-funded schools in England, including maintained schools, academies, mainstream provision within trusts. For 2026–27, the Department for Education has confirmed that the IMF forms part of a wider multi-year funding programme to support inclusion across education.
Funding is allocated through a national formula and paid directly to schools (or via local authorities for maintained schools).
The purpose of the fund is to help schools:
The IMF is designed to support whole-school approaches, rather than isolated interventions or funding attached to individual.
As part of the wider Inclusive Mainstream Fund, a separate Inclusive Early Years Fund (IEYF) will provide additional early years funding to support the early years sector.
Experts at Hand and Local Authority SEND Transformation Fund:
Bromley’s 2026/27 allocation is £2,664,902, which will be used to establish additional multi-disciplinary capacity, strengthen access to education and health expertise, and support the delivery of the local reforms set out in Bromley’s Local SEND Reform Plan.
Bromley’s funding for 2027/28 and 2028/29 has not yet been announced.
Staff Training: £200 million dedicated to national SEND training programs for teachers and support staff
Building Accessibility: £3.7 billion in national capital investment running up to 2030 to build new special school places, inclusion bases, and make physical site adaptations.
There will also be changes to how the high-needs funding is passed directly into mainstream school and college core funding.
There has been significant investment in and recruitment to the Statutory Assessment Team to build capacity within the team over the past few months. The new team members have completed their induction and training and have been working closely with colleagues across the SEND Partnership.
Alongside increased staffing the team is reviewing its processes and systems to help improve communication, response times and the overall experience for children, young people and their families.