26 February 2026
The Government’s Schools White Paper and its aligned SEND reform consultation have been cautiously welcomed by learning disability and vision charities.
Lisa Donaldson, head of eye care and vision at SeeAbility, noted that the special schools eye care service is “one of the few national initiatives in recent years that has brought health into school to deliver better outcomes for SEND children.”
She called the publication “a great opportunity to highlight the value and potential of the special schools eye care service.”
SeeAbility facilitates the special schools eye care service at more than 50 special schools in London.
Emphasising the importance of the service specifically, Donaldson said: “80% of learning is estimated to come from vision, and we know from our own work how transformative refractive correction has been for children in accessing their curriculum and wider wellbeing.”
Special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) children are 28 times more likely to have a serious sight problem, SeeAbility noted.
An investment in mainstream school and move away from EHCPs
The white paper, entitled Every child achieving and thriving, was published on Monday 23 February.
It lays out plans to equip mainstream schools with the services to adequately support children with special educational needs and disabilities.
The Government described its plans for “inclusive mainstream alongside high-quality specialist provision” with “schools equipped and funded to support children with SEND to achieve and thrive in inclusive mainstream settings, working together with high-quality specialist provision.”
The plans will “enable all children to achieve and thrive in education, alongside securing high-quality specialist provision for children with complex needs who need a tailored educational experience,” the paper said.
“The Government clearly envisages much more delivery of health services in schools for these children, including in mainstream inclusion hubs,” Donaldson said.
Donaldson also welcomed the suggestion that schools would receive more support for children with visual impairments.
However, she noted that “the devil is as always in the detail.”
The Government plans to retain specialist support through Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) for children with the most complex needs, but replace EHCPs in some cases with targeted and ‘targeted plus’ support, in a new three-layered system.
For children receiving targeted or targeted plus support, EHCPs will be replaced by Individual Support Plans, whilst children may also have access to a ‘support base’ at their school.
Nurseries, schools and colleges will have a statutory duty to provide children with Individual Support Plans.
The paper highlighted that an “increasing reliance” on EHCPs as a mechanism to access support in recent years has led to a shift away from support for early intervention.
Whilst EHCPs will continue to set out SEND children’s statutory entitlement to support, Individual Support Plans will set out the day-to-day provision in schools, the paper said.
Donaldson emphasised: “Parents and schools are clearly concerned about what could be loss of rights for their children and sustainability of funding – so it is really important we all galvanise around ensuring that support is built up rather than taken away in responding to this vital consultation.”
The paper also outlined digital plans to record additional needs, alongside improved training for teachers and quicker access to health professionals including speech and language therapists.
The changes will be underpinned by a three-year Inclusive Mainstream Fund, worth £1.6 billion, the paper said.
A further £3.7 billion investment will see ‘tens of thousands’ of inclusion bases created in mainstream schools, alongside expanded specialist and alternative provision for children with complex needs.
Curriculum reform and a need for local vision impairment funding
SEND and curriculum reforms will be prepared during the 2026 to 2027 academic year, with implementation taking place in 2028–2029.
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) has emphasised that the Curriculum Framework for Children and Young People with Vision Impairment should be implemented as part of the Government’s SEND reforms.
Craig Brown, head of education and children services at the RNIB, noted that there are an estimated 35,000 children and young people with vision impairment in England.
“It’s vital that their needs are explicitly addressed,” he said.
Brown said: “The reforms proposed in the Schools White Paper directly impact children and young people with vision impairments. We need the right tailored support for every child with vision impairment, whether that is in mainstream schools or in specialist settings, with support plans that have legal status available to those who need them.”
Local authorities must also be funded if the Government’s vision is to be realised, Brown emphasised.
“We know that 70% of children with vision impairment are in mainstream education,” Brown said.
“It is crucial that local authority vision impairment services are appropriately resourced. Without enough specialist teachers, it will be impossible to turn improvements on paper into reality in the classroom.”
He added: “Vision impairment is a lifelong disability and for most learners the underlying need for ongoing specialist input will remain throughout their education.”
The SEND Reform: putting children and young people first consultation is open now and will run until 18 May.
Sight for SEN
Our campaign promoting the importance of the Special Schools Eye Care Service for children with special education needs (SEN)
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