The North Northamptonshire Schools Forum was scheduled to discuss the North Northamptonshire Local SEND Reform Plan. This plan outlines the council's strategy for improving support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

North Northamptonshire Local SEND Reform Plan

The primary focus of the meeting was the North Northamptonshire Local SEND Reform Plan, a comprehensive document detailing the council's strategy for transforming its SEND system. The plan, which was due to be submitted to the Department for Education and NHS England by 19 June 2026, aims to create a more inclusive, sustainable, and effective system for children and young people with SEND.

The report pack outlines a vision for a system where children and young people receive support to achieve and thrive through more inclusive settings and stronger local partnerships. Key goals include improving outcomes for children, increasing confidence in the SEND system among parents, carers, and young people, and ensuring financial sustainability and value for money.

A central element of the reform is the introduction of the Experts at Hand (EAH) Offer. This initiative is designed to strengthen the capability of mainstream education settings to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND more effectively. The EAH Offer aims to provide mainstream settings with access to specialist support, including educational psychology, speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy, through a tiered approach. This is intended to shift towards more group-based models and whole-setting advice, enabling health and education professionals to deliver support with greater impact and value, thereby preventing the escalation of needs.

The plan also addresses place planning and capital investment to ensure inclusive provision is available and accessible. Local authorities are expected to set out how High Needs capital funding will be used to invest in new places and adapt physical environments to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND in alignment with reform aims. This includes identifying where inclusion bases (formerly SEN units, resourced provision, and pupil support units) are needed and how to improve the inclusivity of provision in all settings.

Strengthening effective partnerships and practice is another core component. The plan emphasises the importance of collaboration across all system partners, including local authorities, Integrated Care Boards (ICBs), health provider organisations, Parent Carer Forums (PCFs), and educational settings. It highlights the need for co-production, collaborative partnership working, and stakeholder engagement, with a particular focus on ensuring the voice of children and young people is captured and influences decisions.

The governance structure for the reform plan includes a SEND Accountability Improvement Board, a SEND Reform Operational Programme Delivery Board, and workstream-specific groups. Annita Gray, Assistant Director of Education, SEND and Inclusion, is identified as the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for the Local SEND Reform Plan.

The plan details various funding streams, including Experts at Hand Offer Funding, Transformation Funding for Local Authorities, Best Start Family Hubs Funding, High Needs Capital Funding, and the Inclusive Early Years Fund. These funds are intended to support the development and implementation of the reform strategy.

The report pack also outlines a roadmap for the next three years, detailing plans for strengthening inclusion across education settings, improving access to specialist support and local placements, enhancing system leadership and partnership collaboration, encouraging inclusive culture and behaviours, and developing enabling infrastructure for data and workforce.

Key risks identified include insufficient workforce capacity, schools lacking confidence or capacity to deliver inclusive practice, continued rise in demand for EHCPs, fragmented system leadership, and insufficient data quality and integration. Mitigation strategies for these risks are also detailed.

The meeting was scheduled to cover these aspects of the Local SEND Reform Plan, with the aim of discussing and potentially making recommendations regarding its implementation.