More than 4,000 children and young people in Coventry now have Education, Health and Care Plans, after the number more than doubled over the past decade. That rise is the clearest sign of the pressure facing families, schools and public services as the city prepares a new three-year plan for special educational needs and disabilities support.
Coventry City Council has published a proposed Local SEND improvement plan, due to go before Cabinet on 9 June 2026. If approved, it will set out how Coventry’s Local Area Partnership will deliver the government’s national SEND reforms across the city.
The plan has been developed with NHS partners, schools, the Parent Carer Forum and other organisations. Its central promise is to help more children with SEND thrive in local mainstream schools, while giving teachers faster access to specialist support before families have to wait for lengthy statutory assessments.
More support before a statutory assessment
The biggest operational change is a new Experts at Hand offer for mainstream schools. Under the model, schools would receive extra resource and specialist input to help them support inclusion earlier.
For parents, the practical test will be whether concerns raised in classrooms lead to quicker advice, adjustments and support. The council says the model is designed so schools can draw on specialist expertise more quickly, instead of support only arriving after a long formal process.
That does not remove the role of Education, Health and Care Plans for children with more complex needs. It does suggest a stronger front door for help inside mainstream settings, particularly for children whose needs are emerging or who do not yet meet the threshold for statutory plans.
Councillor Abdul Salam Khan, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Equalities, said every child in Coventry deserves the opportunity to achieve and thrive. He said the plan was about getting children with SEND the right support, in the right place, at the right time.
The funding Coventry expects for SEND reform
The city is due to receive government grant funding to begin delivering the reforms from 2026 to 2027, with a higher estimated amount by 2028 to 2029. Schools will also receive direct funding through the national Inclusive Mainstream Fund.
| Funding or date | Detail |
|---|---|
| Local authority grant, 2026 to 2027 | Around £3 million |
| Estimated local authority grant, 2028 to 2029 | Around £5.9 million |
| Average primary school funding | Around £19,000 |
| Average secondary school funding | Around £39,000 |
| Cabinet decision | 9 June 2026 |
| Final plan deadline | 19 June 2026 |
The figures show the scale of the first phase, but they do not by themselves prove that waiting times or outcomes will improve. Much will depend on how quickly specialist capacity is made available, how schools use the new money, and whether families feel involved when support plans are put in place.
Coventry is also in a different financial position from many councils. The authority says it is among a minority nationally that does not have a High Needs Block deficit. That ring-fenced funding supports pupils with complex needs, and the absence of a deficit gives Coventry a stronger starting position as national reforms are introduced.
What changes for parents and carers
The plan is aimed at children and young people with SEND, their families, mainstream schools and specialist services working across education and health. It is especially relevant for parents who have struggled to get support early enough, or whose children are not attending school full time.
Feedback from parents and carers has already changed the draft. The council says it has strengthened the emphasis on co-production and added more focus on support for children who are not in school full time.
That detail matters because many SEND disputes begin when families feel decisions are being made around them rather than with them. Co-production will need to mean more than consultation documents: parents will be watching whether their evidence changes what happens in classrooms, timetables and support plans.
The proposed direction also places more responsibility on mainstream schools. If the Experts at Hand model works, schools should be able to respond earlier to speech and language needs, learning difficulties, autism-related barriers, social and emotional needs, and other forms of support demand. The source statement does not set out individual eligibility rules, so families will still need clear local guidance once the plan is approved.
Cabinet approval is the next hurdle
Coventry City Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve the Local SEND improvement plan on 9 June. The final version must then be submitted to the Department for Education by 19 June 2026.
The council says the plan will provide a basis for ongoing collaboration with children and young people, families, schools, the NHS and other partners over the next three years.
Councillor Khan said the Experts at Hand model is a significant step forward because families should not have to wait for lengthy assessments before a child gets help. He described that earlier access to specialist expertise as the practical difference the plan is designed to make.
Source: Coventry City Council
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This article is based on Coventry City Council's published notice about the proposed Local SEND improvement plan.
- Checked the stated Cabinet date of 9 June 2026.
- Checked the final Department for Education submission deadline of 19 June 2026.
- Checked the funding figures for the local authority grant and school-level Inclusive Mains...
- Checked the named partners, including the NHS, schools and the Parent Carer Forum.
- Source
- Coventry City Council
- Scope
- Coventry
- Updated
- 2026-06-03 19:29
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