(UK) Govt to provide $5.4B "to make every school truly inclusive"

Feb 23, 2026, GOV UK: Specialist SEND support in every school and community

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/specialist-send-support-in-every-school-and-community

Generational reforms to transform outcomes for children with SEND and end one size fits all approach.

Every child with additional needs will benefit from better, more tailored support, as government unveils landmark £4 billion [$5.4B] investment to make every school truly inclusive and transform outcomes for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).

The investment comes with the government set to unveil its schools white paper, Every child achieving and thriving, a blueprint for opportunity for all children, including generational reforms to the SEND system. . . .

This investment is about making the changes that put inclusion at the heart of every school, so that every pupil can thrive – from funding interventions like small group language support, to supporting staff to identify commonly occurring needs and introducing adaptive teaching styles, so that every pupil can thrive.

In addition, for the children who need a little extra help, the government will fund a new ‘Experts at Hand’ service, investing £1.8 billion [$2.4B] over 3 years to create a bank of specialists like SEND teachers and speech and language therapist in every local area which schools can draw down from on demand, regardless of whether children have an education, health and care plan (EHCP) – meaning every child will be able to access these resources if they need them.

The investment – on top of a record increase for high needs of £3.5 billion [$4.7B] in 2028 to 2029 over and above Autumn Budget 25 funding – paves the way for generational reforms, creating a sustainable SEND system that transforms outcomes for children with SEND and will end a one size fits all approach.

Taken alongside the building blocks the government has already put in place, including training for every teacher and 60,000 new specialist places, the government’s reforms will end the postcode lottery of SEND support that too many families experience, making sure more children – regardless of need – can attend their local school. . . .

To dramatically improve the support mainstream schools can provide for children with SEND, and rebuild families’ confidence in the system, the government will:

[NEW] provide £1.6 billion [$2.2B] over 3 years across every early years setting, school and post-16 setting, equating to thousands of pounds extra every year on top of existing core SEND funding, to run targeted and small group interventions at the earliest signs of children having additional needs

[NEW] invest £1.8 billion [$2.4B] over 3 years for ‘Experts at Hand’:

every council working with Integrated Care Boards and health board will commission local professionals – educational psychology, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy and more – so they are routinely available in every area, whether or not children have an EHCP

special and alternative provision schools to provide expert training, direct interventions with children and short-term placements in their schools

once rolled out an average secondary school will receive over 160 days – around an additional full school year - worth of dedicated specialist time every year

[NEW] invest over £200 million [$271M] so every community’s Best Start Family Hub provides a dedicated SEND outreach and support offer.

[NEW] invest £200 million to ensure all local authorities can transform how they operate in line with our reforms while maintaining current SEND services

train every teacher to be a teacher of children with SEND, with the biggest SEND training offer ever seen in English schools – backed by £200 million - and a new requirement for all teachers to be trained to support children with SEND.

create 60,000 new places for children with SEND, including the 10,000 places already delivered, backed by investment of over £3.7 billion [$5B] . . ..

Taken together, from the foundations of local family outreach and teacher training, up to today’s investment in expert classroom support, the government is building a SEND system unrecognisable from the one families experience today.

The requirement for schools to have an inclusion base will be delivered through the government’s £3.7 billion capital investment. Bases will work differently in different schools, so every child has access to a local school that works for their needs. . . .