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SEND and AP improvement plan: summary

Dig into the details of the SEND and alternative provision (AP) improvement plan. Understand how the government intends to reform the SEND and AP system, and get an idea of timelines.

Last reviewed on 10 April 2025
School types: All•School phases: All•Ref: 42217
Contents
  1. New national standards for SEND and AP
  2. Local SEND and AP partnerships
  3. Reformed AP based on a 3-tier model and funding stability
  4. Digital EHC plans
  5. Upskilling the workforce
  6. Increased accountability
  7. Funding commitments to stabilise the system and increase capacity

On 2 March 2023, the previous government published its plan for improvement: The SEND and AP Improvement Plan - Right Support, Right Place, Right Time. We'll refer to it as ‘the plan’ throughout this article.

The SEND and AP improvement plan set out the government's plan to reform its approach to special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and alternative provision (AP). The overarching aim was to pull the 2 systems together to create a sustainable, easy to navigate single system that meets the needs of all concerned.

The government set out timelines for the proposed actions in this roadmap published by the DfE. We’ll examine what’s been done and what’s still to come.

The plan is still just a plan at this stage. The government set out timelines for the proposed changes, but further consultation, testing and development will be needed before these reforms are written into