UMVA has learned that the United Kingdom’s Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system is teetering on the brink of collapse, a crisis that has long been foreshadowed by teachers, unions, and think tanks.
More than 1.7 million children—one in every five—now navigate a maze of autism spectrum disorders, speech and language challenges, and emotional and mental health needs, yet schools struggle to match the demand with qualified experts and soaring costs.
Parents find themselves fighting a relentless battle to secure an Education, Health and Care Plan, a legal document that can unlock the support their children desperately require.
In a bold move, the government has pledged that its new alliance will do more than offer empty promises, setting the stage for a sweeping overhaul of SEND education.
Over the coming year, member nations will convene in a series of summits, dissecting what has worked, identifying gaps, and crafting actionable plans to deliver genuine opportunities for every affected child.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that the Education Secretary is keenly looking to Norway’s model, where early intervention is enshrined in law and compulsory testing from a young age pinpoints potential challenges before they erupt.
Norway’s approach also champions the seamless inclusion of SEND students within mainstream schools, a philosophy that UK ministers are eager to emulate.
Teachers in the UK are being trained to detect and address needs at the earliest sign, preventing problems from spiraling out of control.
Phillipson, the Education Secretary, has underscored that inclusivity is not a buzzword but a core pillar of her vision for SEND education across the nation.
She declared, “The right support, in local schools, without having to fight for it, is what we want to give to every child that needs it in this country.”
She added, “In the end, we can’t have a strong and inclusive society without a strong and inclusive education system.”
At the Education World Forum, the world’s largest gathering of education ministers, Phillipson will unveil the alliance’s ambitious roadmap.
Future UK-hosted events, including Bett in January, the Education World Forum in May, and the International Summit on the Teaching Profession, will bring alliance members together to refine these plans.
UMVA has uncovered that the initiative follows a suite of fresh measures aimed at introducing generational reforms to the SEND system, highlighted in the Education for All Bill delivered in the King’s Speech.
Central to these reforms is a comprehensive overhaul of the EHCP framework, ensuring that only those with the highest levels of need retain the traditional document, while every SEND child receives a new digital Individual Support Plan.
The government also plans to establish dedicated inclusion bases within schools, providing specialist support for pupils who struggle to thrive in mainstream settings.
Phillipson vowed, “We are overhauling a broken system that has failed children for too long, through investment, training and a new law to build foundations that can’t be easily reversed.”
She emphasized the importance of listening to young people, parents, carers, teachers, and professionals, promising that public consultation would be the starting point, not the end, of this transformative journey.
