More children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities will be supported to thrive in their local nursery, school or college as the government launches the most ambitious and comprehensive SEND training programme ever introduced in the English education system.
The new national training offer, backed by £200 million, is designed to ensure that every classroom benefits from staff who are confident and skilled in supporting a wide range of needs. The programme follows extensive feedback from parents and carers shared through the government’s national conversation on SEND, as well as engagement with teachers and sector experts over the past year.
For too long, training in SEND has been inconsistent across schools. Nearly half of primary and secondary teachers say that more training would improve their confidence when supporting pupils with SEND. The government says the reforms will help restore parental confidence by ensuring children can achieve and belong in their local mainstream setting.
Under the new offer, all teaching staff will be able to access flexible training courses that deepen understanding of how to adapt teaching to meet diverse needs, including visual impairments, speech and language difficulties, and other additional learning needs. Teachers will also learn how to use proven approaches such as assistive technology, including speech‑to‑text software, and how to foster inclusive classroom cultures where all pupils understand and support each other’s needs.
A new expectation in the SEND Code of Practice will underpin the programme, making clear that all staff in every nursery, school and college should receive training on SEND and inclusion. This will ensure the offer reaches the entire education workforce, rather than being limited to new teachers or those in leadership roles.
The announcement builds on a £3 billion investment to deliver around 50,000 inclusive spaces in mainstream schools, alongside £740 million already invested to create more than 10,000 specialist places. The government says the new training will ensure these additional places are matched with staff who have the expertise needed to support children effectively.
The training will be delivered in flexible formats to fit around teachers’ workloads, including online self‑study modules and live in‑person sessions, with the first courses launching from next year. The offer fills a long‑standing gap for experienced teachers and leaders who want to deepen their SEND expertise but currently have limited development opportunities once in post.
Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education, said:
“Every child, wherever they live and whatever their needs, should have the opportunity to go to a local school where they can achieve and thrive.
“That’s why we’re equipping staff across every stage of education with more training on SEND and inclusion than ever before – helping to deliver our vision of a truly inclusive education system.
“This is a key part of our mission to reform the SEND system so that schools can take children from forgotten to included and give parents the confidence that the right support will be there at every stage of their child’s education.”
As part of the package, high‑quality training materials developed alongside experts will be shared with all schools and colleges to support in‑house training. There will also be new training for teaching assistants, developed collaboratively with the sector, to ensure support staff feel confident in their roles. An additional Early Years CPD programme will provide free, accessible training to early years practitioners, focusing on inclusive practice, child development and practical strategies for supporting young children with SEND.
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