Specialist SEND support in every school and community
GOV.UK2 days
UK Govt. Unveils £4B Special Needs Education Reform
Is the SEND system exploited by fake claimants or underfunded and failing vulnerable children?
Above: A copy of the Schools White Paper on display at Ormiston Bushfield Academy in Peterborough on Feb. 23. Image credit: Jacob King/PA Images/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
The current SEND system writes off children's potential by forcing them into one-size-fits-all support that fails to deliver meaningful outcomes. By placing £4 billion into teacher training, early intervention and personalized support, this government is taking meaningful action to create better outcomes and a more inclusive Britain.
Government-critical narrative
The SEND system has spiraled out of control with parents exploiting diagnoses to dodge taxes while costs balloon toward bankruptcy. Diagnosis creep has turned normal childhood struggles into medical labels, limiting support for those who really need it. By failing to reduce the cost or the amount of children supported until 2035, this reform merely kicks the can down the road.
Metaculus Prediction
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© 2026 Improve the News Foundation. All rights reserved.Version 6.18.0
© 2026 Improve the News Foundation.
All rights reserved.
Version 6.18.0