SEND under pressure

When the SEND system is under strain, decisions become slower, funding discussions harder and disputes more likely. Schools and trusts must continue to meet their legal duties while managing provision that may be difficult to secure, afford or sustain.

This legal update will separate current duties from future reform. It will examine what the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Act 2026 changes, what remains at proposal or consultation stage, and how leaders can protect their position. It focuses on well-evidenced requests, responses to refusal or delay, and clear records before a concern becomes a complaint or appeal. Delegates will be better equipped to connect compliance with funding and provision planning.

In this session we explore

Current SEND duties and what schools and trusts remain responsible for during reform.

The 2026 Act, wider SEND proposals and the distinction between changes made and those still to come.

EHCP provision, reasonable adjustments and the risks created by delay or unmet need.

How to frame funding requests and evidence need, provision, cost and impact.

Challenging local authority decisions through resolution, complaints, mediation and appeals.

Building a defensible file through chronologies, decision records and contemporaneous evidence.

Take home points

A clear map of current duties, proposed reform and key decisions.

A practical pre-dispute checklist and chronology structure.

Evidence prompts for provision, impact and cost.

An escalation framework covering routes, responsibilities and critical timescales.

This session is for

Chief executives, finance and operations directors, school business leaders, SEND leaders and trust teams managing EHCP provision, funding, complaints, appeals and SEND-related risk.

Coral Peutrill