Welcome to the Schools North East central space for the 2026 schools white paper and SEND reform. This page will 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.
We will regularly update this hub with:
23/02/26: Schools North East respond to release of white paper
Mission North East must deliver structural change, not simply raise expectations.
Schools North East welcomes the publication of the Government’s Schools White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, and in particular its recognition that geography shapes educational outcomes.
This is a moment where national policy explicitly acknowledges what schools in the North East have consistently argued: disadvantage is structural, not accidental.
It is also encouraging that the white paper recognises the persistent attainment gap affecting white working-class pupils, and the need for sustained structural intervention. Schools across the region have been highlighting this challenge for years and it is right that it is now targeted and this needs to be done through sustained regional investment, not short-term initiatives.
19/02/26: Our Review Framework: The 5 Haldane Tests
To ensure the North East’s voice is at the heart of this national conversation, we will evaluate the white paper against five key “Haldanean” tests—named after Lord Richard Burdon Haldane, a pioneer of education as a core national resource:
18/02/26: The 2026 reform landscape
The government is expected to publish a landmark schools white paper alongside significant SEND reforms imminently.
What we expect to see:
- SEND overhaul: A focus on earlier identification, mainstream inclusion, and a more sustainable funding model for EHCPs
- Place-based policy: New measures to address regional inequalities in attainment and attendance
- The future of trusts: Further clarity on the academy landscape and the role of Multi-Academy Trusts through a more defined “strong trust” definition underpinned by trust inspection – as included in the recent amendment to the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill
- Technology and AI: new safety frameworks, teacher training, and digital infrastructure spending
- Preparing for reform: How Schools North East will judge the upcoming schools white paper
Rather than simply reacting to the document when it lands, Schools North East is taking a proactive stance. We believe this reform must be more than a collection of headlines; it must be a coherent plan capable of producing durable, effective change for our schools and communities.
Leading, not pleading: Our commitment to you
Schools North East is committed to supporting and championing our schools by ensuring the North East is a serious contributor to national policy design. We are here to lobby on your behalf, using these tests to protect our children and staff from another cycle of “meaningless churn”.
Book to attend – Schools North East White Paper Event: We want to hear your voice during the upcoming consultation period. Join us at our next major event to learn more, share your insights, and help shape our collective response to the white paper.
