Fixing the SEND system
Think tank: Social Market Foundation
Author(s): Dani Payne; Dr Rebecca Montacute
February 5, 2026
This report from UK think tank the Social Market Foundation examines the current policy landscape to assess which reforms are likely to work in practice.
England’s SEND system is widely recognised to be in crisis. Government is considering reform but must choose between politically risky structural change and limited tweaks that leave core problems unresolved.
We examine the current policy landscape, with new polling of over 400 Special Educational Needs Coordinators (SENCOs) and over 9000 teachers by TeacherTapp, to assess which reforms are likely to work in practice.
