Agenda item

34.1     The Assistant Director of Education introduced the report which set out the national SEND context, local pressures and the development of East Sussex’s local SEND reform plan. The Committee heard that SEND reforms, published as part of the wider Schools White Paper and currently out for consultation, present both opportunities and risks, including greater inclusion within mainstream schools and more children being educated locally. However, this may also result in increasing demand for Education Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), financial pressures, and challenges to manage demand and build capacity in mainstream schools and to support schools in meeting needs. Members were informed that detailed guidance had been received from the Department for Education, funding allocations were expected in spring 2026, and all local authorities would be required to submit a multi?agency SEND reform plan for the local area. The Assistant Director commented that East Sussex was well placed for the reforms, with existing work aligned to the direction of travel and learning from participation in the national change programme informing the revision of the SEND strategy, however resources to implement reforms would be challenging.

34.2     The Director of Children’s Services Department (CSD) emphasised the likely anxiety among parents/carers and the risk of increased EHCP requests during the transition, describing capacity pressures and modelling which projected significant growth in EHCP numbers and noted the work underway to mitigate this. The Director also commented that whilst delivering the reforms will be challenging, the current system was not working for children and welcomed the core tenants within the White Paper.

34.3     The Committee asked questions and made comments in the following areas:

• Capacity pressures: The Committee welcomed the direction of travel in national reforms but expressed concern about capacity to implement these locally, alongside induction for new councillors and local government reorganisation. Officers acknowledged the scale of the challenge and agreed capacity is a key risk. Members also stressed the importance of schools having capacity not only to meet needs but to conduct meaningful reviews of progress and provision. The Assistant Director responded that reforms would move towards more plans sitting within schools (individual support plans) and that there would be a training offer alongside access to specialist support and strengthened school partnerships.
• Resources: The Committee highlighted concerns about the availability of specialist staff (e.g., psychologists and therapists) and asked whether adequate funding would be delivered. The Director of CSD acknowledged that this is a significant challenge nationally and noted that, while further detail on workforce plans and funding is expected in spring, the reforms will require a phased approach as additional specialist capacity cannot be created quickly.
• SEND Attainment: The Committee asked why the KS2 reading/writing/maths outcome for pupils with SEN for working at the high standard was the only outcome shown as decreasing. The Head of Education: Inclusion and Partnerships noted that there had been a small amount of progress at Key Stage 2, but that working at the higher standard is challenging and not all pupils with SEND will reach this level. She emphasised the importance of pupils reaching the expected standard and being identified early where additional support is required. The Assistant Director added that alongside SEND reforms there are also curriculum reforms which will support young people to be successful in their learning.
• SEND Strategy – The Committee sought clarification on the differences between the SEND strategy and the Local SEND Reform Plan. The Assistant Director explained that the Council has an existing multi?agency SEND Strategy, which had been extended pending national SEND reforms. She confirmed that guidance had been received earlier in the week and that work would now begin to revise the Strategy as a high?level vision document to 2030. She added that the local SEND reform Plan would likely sit beneath the Strategy, setting out how the system would prepare for the reforms and how progress would be monitored by the Department for Education.

• Increase SEND demand: Councillor Wright asked whether work was being done to understand increased demand for SEND, particularly for pupils with autism. The Assistant Director Education noted that autism is a spectrum and has historically been under diagnosed. She commented that many children’s needs can be met in mainstream settings with improved training and support. The Head of Education Participation and Planning described place planning work across the county, expansion proposals (including in the north of the county), and support/training initiatives for schools.
• Place planning: The Committee asked about forecasts for specialist need and whether the planned creation of new places was sufficient. The Head of Education, Participation and Planning responded that the forecast was based on continuation of current EHCP growth and did not take account of the proposed SEND reforms, which are expected to reduce future demand over time. The Committee heard that the Council would continue its programme to expand specialist facilities aligned to the SEND reforms.
• Impact of screen time: The Chair raised concerns about the impact of screen time and reduced interaction on early development. Officers referenced government work on early years guidance and outlined local best start and school readiness work, including sharing starting reception resources, supporting parents via family hubs, and the challenge of distinguishing developmental delay from SEND need at reception stage.

34.4     The Committee thanked the officers for their report and acknowledged the positive aspects of the proposed reforms. However, members also raised concerns regarding staff capacity to implement these reforms, especially given local government reorganisation and the need to support new members following the election. The Committee agreed that these issues should be communicated to the incoming committee.

34.5     The Committee RESOLVED to:

1. note, and highlight to the incoming committee, the current position on SEND in East Sussex, including demand pressures, financial challenges and progress in increasing specialist places;

2. support the continued development of the Local SEND Reform Plan in response to national change requirements; and

3. note the national policy reform and ongoing programme of work to strengthen inclusion in mainstream settings.