News

What the imminent schools white paper means for our schools and how we will judge it

As the Department for Education prepares to unveil the long anticipated schools white paper and SEND reform on Monday(?), recent headlines have provided some early insight into what we can expect to see. With the Secretary of State representing a North East constituency, expectations are high that this will tackle some of the systemic challenges our region faces. 

Here we explore these early headlines and what they mean for our schools, how we will judge the outcomes, and how Schools North East will support and advocate for all 1,150 schools in our region as details continue to emerge. 

What can we expect?

Inclusion at the heart

We know that we can expect the ‘biggest overhaul in years to the SEND system’. As reported by The Guardian yesterday (19 February), mainstream schools in England will receive direct commissioning budgets for SEND support. This shifts control of funding from local authorities to schools, aiming to provide faster therapy and support while curbing costs.

This announcement follows the ministers’ pledge to eliminate nearly all historic SEND deficits, though funding experts have cautioned that the bailout could “reduce the incentives” for councils to control costs.

In this major move towards reform, it was reported that the government will write off 90% of existing deficits accumulated by councils through their dedicated schools grant as of 2025–26—a sum estimated at £5 billion.

It is also understood that eligibility for special needs support will be reviewed when children start secondary school in England. Those with a legal right to support will undergo a review upon transition, with the first cohort affected currently in Key Stage 1, according to the Guardian.

The Department for Education’s Education Estates strategy, which was published last week, followed an announced expectation that every secondary school in England needs to have an ‘inclusion base’. Additionally, the government is expected to cap fees charged by private special schools, which will include new national price bands coupled with statutory SEND-specific standards. 

In another major move towards reform, the £200 million landmark SEND teacher training programme, which was announced in January, will ensure every teacher receives the skills and knowledge to support pupils with SEND. This looks to deliver on the government’s promise to finally bring forward the improvements that schools, families, Schools North East and the National Network of Special Schools (NNoSS) for School Business Professionals have long been calling for. 

The future of the system

Back in October, we learned that government officials were working on white paper proposals to encourage all schools to join a group. This week, Tom Rees, who chairs the Department for Education’s expert advisory group on SEND inclusion, spoke to Tes about the awaited reforms. 

He said that it would be more achievable if schools were in trusts with the ‘capacity and resources’ to support pupils and communities. This suggests that we can expect to see this reinforced in the white paper. 

Maternity pay announcement 

Ministers have pledged eight weeks of full maternity pay for school leaders, teachers, and support staff in England, a change set to take effect from 2027. Currently, leaders and teachers in schools following the “Burgundy Book” receive four weeks of full pay, followed by two weeks at 90%, then 12 weeks at 50% plus statutory maternity pay, with statutory pay thereafter. 

The new arrangements will also allow the recently established support staff body to negotiate equivalent improvements, ensuring fairer and more consistent support for all school staff.

The 5 Haldanean Tests: How Schools North East will judge the white paper

Schools North East will not judge this White Paper on its rhetoric, but on its reality for our schools. We will be applying the 5 Haldanean Tests to evaluate whether these reforms will actually deliver for our schools and trusts:

1. Is it a connected system, or just another patch?
2. Does it treat education as a national resource, not a cost to manage?
3. Is it built to last beyond political cycles?
4. Does it strengthen professional expertise rather than add compliance?
5. Does it take place and community seriously?

How Schools North East will support you

We have created a central space for the 2026 schools white paper and SEND reform to serve as your primary destination for official updates, expert analysis, and regional responses throughout the consultation period. As the Voice, Glue, Bridge of all 1,150 schools in the North East, we are here to ensure that, as the national education landscape shifts, our region isn’t just reacting to policy—but shaping it.

• The Voice: our collective consultation response will be shaped by your feedback and representing the priorities of our schools
• The Glue: Our schools white paper event, and roundtables, will bring together schools from across the region. This will offer a space for school leaders to dissect the implications for their specific settings and share collaborative solutions.
• The Bridge: our advisory board and trustees will be meeting with the DfE Permanent Secretary in a couple of weeks where we will have the opportunity to amplify your voice to the very top of the department. We will continue to engage with the DfE and stakeholders across the sector. 

The coming weeks will outline the direction of our education system for the future. As always, Schools North East remains committed to ensuring that our region’s schools – and specialist settings across England through NNoSS – have the support, the voice, and the information they need to lead the way.

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Register your interest for the Schools North East White Paper Event

We’re preparing to host a timely event in early 2026 to coincide with the publication of the new schools white paper from the Department for Education (DfE). 

The venue and full agenda will be confirmed as soon as possible. You can expect an engaging mix of national policy updates, regional implications, practical advisory sessions for schools in the North East, workforce insights and inclusion-focused discussion, all designed with schools like yours in mind.

By registering your interest now, you’ll be among the first to receive an invitation and event details once they are confirmed. We hope you’ll join us in shaping and responding to the future of education together.