Coventry SEND plan sets out faster support in schools

More than 4,000 children and young people in Coventry are currently supported through Education, Health and Care Plans, after the number more than doubled over the last decade. Coventry City Council now wants to change how many children with special educational needs and disabilities receive help before families reach the point of lengthy statutory assessments.

The council has published a Local SEND improvement plan for Coventry’s Local Area Partnership, with Cabinet due to consider it on 9 June 2026. If approved, the plan will guide how the city delivers the government’s national SEND reforms over the next three years.

The proposal has been developed with the NHS, schools, the Parent Carer Forum and other local partners. Its main aim is to help more children with SEND thrive in local mainstream schools, while improving access to specialist advice and keeping pressure on high-needs funding under control.

Faster specialist help through Experts at Hand

The most direct change for schools is the planned “Experts at Hand” offer. Under the model, mainstream schools would be able to draw on additional specialist resource to support inclusion, rather than waiting for a formal process to finish before practical help becomes available.

For parents, the promise is earlier support where a child is already learning, particularly when needs are emerging or becoming harder to manage in a classroom. The plan does not remove the role of Education, Health and Care Plans, but it signals a shift towards intervening sooner in mainstream settings.

Councillor Abdul Salam Khan, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Equalities, said the plan was about getting “the right support, in the right place, at the right time”. He said the Experts at Hand model should allow schools to access specialist expertise more quickly, instead of families waiting through lengthy assessments before help begins.

That distinction matters. Coventry’s plan is not simply about adding places or rewriting paperwork. It is about changing the point at which expert support reaches a child, and whether mainstream schools have enough capacity to keep more pupils included locally.

SEND funding rises from £3m to £5.9m

The city is expected to receive around £3 million in government grant funding in 2026 to 2027 to begin delivering the new model. That is projected to rise to an estimated £5.9 million by 2028 to 2029.

Schools will also receive direct government funding through the national Inclusive Mainstream Fund. Coventry’s primary schools are expected to receive an average of £19,000 each, while secondary schools are expected to receive an average of £39,000 each to support inclusive practice.

The council says Coventry is in a stronger financial position than many local authorities because it is among the minority of councils nationally without a High Needs Block deficit. That ring-fenced funding supports pupils with complex needs. The absence of a deficit does not remove demand pressures, but it gives the city more room to manage reform without starting from a shortfall.

What this means locally

• Coventry wants more children with SEND to receive support in their local mainstream school.
• The Experts at Hand model is intended to bring specialist advice closer to classrooms.
• Families may see a stronger focus on support before or alongside formal statutory assessment routes.
• The plan gives extra attention to children who are not attending school full time.
• Coventry’s financial position may make the reform easier to manage than in areas already carrying High Needs Block deficits.

The pressure behind the reform is clear: demand for EHCPs has grown sharply, and national SEND services face financial strain. Coventry’s plan says the city must manage that demand sustainably while protecting outcomes for children and families.

The parent and carer feedback already received has changed the plan. The council says it now places a stronger emphasis on co-production and gives more focus to pupils who are not in school full time. That will be a key test for families who have felt that support only arrives after attendance, anxiety or placement issues have already become entrenched.

Readers following wider SEND changes may also find useful context in recent SEND inspection findings in Sefton, where positive experiences were recorded alongside concerns over EHCP delays and waiting times.

Cabinet vote comes before the national deadline

Coventry City Council’s Cabinet committee will be asked to approve the Local SEND improvement plan on 9 June 2026. The final version must then be submitted to the Department for Education by 19 June 2026.

If approved, the plan will become the basis for work across the council, NHS partners, schools, families and children and young people over the next three years. Khan said the council was “determined to make real, lasting improvements for children and young people across our city.”

Source: Coventry City Council

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This report is based on Coventry City Council’s published SEND improvement plan announcement and keeps funding, dates and named partners tied to that source.

Checks

• Checked the Cabinet decision date of 9 June 2026.
• Checked the Department for Education submission deadline of 19 June 2026.
• Checked the stated government grant figures and Inclusive Mainstream Fund averages.
• Checked the named Coventry SEND partners and quoted councillor.

Coventry City Council Check wider coverage

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Coventry City Council

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Coventry

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2026-06-03 19:55

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Abdul Salam Khan

#Coventry schools#Coventry SEND#Education Health and Care Plans#Experts at Hand#High Needs Block#Local SEND improvement plan#Parent Carer Forum

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