The special educational needs and disabilities reforms proposed in the schools White Paper are ambitious, inclusive and offer a clear long-term vision for every child to flourish, whatever their background or needs may be.

Unsurprisingly, they have also prompted strong responses from parents, who want reassurance that their children will continue to be well supported under any changes to education, health and care plan (EHCP) processes.

While this detail is set out clearly in the White Paper, it will be crucial that all voices are heard in the consultation process and that the system builds and retains the trust of parents and carers through the reforms.

The SEND reforms depend on staff

Wherever and however the final SEND legislation lands, it will require flourishing leaders, teachers and support staff to deliver such a major change effectively.

For we know that where there are few flourishing adults, there will be few flourishing children.

This principle is woven through the Church of England’s Vision for Education, which is rooted in wisdom, hope, community and dignity.

Those values matter here: they remind us that reform can only succeed if the people enacting it are themselves valued, resourced and championed.

Leaders, teachers and support staff want to provide the very best educational experiences for children with SEND, yet many are already working under intense pressure. For some, the prospect of further reform may feel overwhelming.

Commitment to inclusive cultures

This is why any conversation about improving SEND provision must include a parallel commitment to ensuring inclusive cultures and conditions in which school staff themselves can thrive.

So we welcome the announcement of further resourcing for the school system through the Inclusive Mainstream Fund and “experts at hand” programme.

We need to continue to reimagine education as a profession in which adults can expect to flourish, not simply to cope.

For mainstream SEND and inclusion to become genuinely embedded - as the White Paper rightly aspires to - each of us will need to grow our expertise and confidence in this area.

For many colleagues, that will be the reigniting of a deeply felt vocation; a reminder of why they came into the profession in the first place - an opportunity to make a transformational difference for pupils for whom the system often does not work well.

But it will also need to energise tired professionals, re-envision those wavering about whether to remain in the profession, and deepen their long-term commitment to delivering truly inclusive, transformational education.

Investing in professional development around SEND and inclusion provides a chance to build a shared language, expectations and practice across the system.

Flourishing leaders and teachers

We are looking forward to partnering with government to deliver this new mainstream training from autumn 2027.

The Church of England’s national professional qualifications (NPQ) programmes and Flourishing Leaders and Teachers programmes have already enabled thousands of practitioners to grow in their instructional knowledge and in their sense of purpose, belonging and wellbeing.

That blend is exactly what our system needs if reforms are to translate into lived improvement for children with SEND.

It is also why this welcome investment in adults is not an optional extra but the foundation on which everything else depends.

Recognising what we do well already

Debate through the consultation period will rightly focus on tiers of support, specialist provision, legal safeguards, structures and funding.

These are essential elements of a fair and effective system. But we must keep sight of the adults who already give so much in our system, and whose ability to thrive themselves will determine whether children can do so, too.

So let’s celebrate and elevate our Sendcos, specialist staff and teaching assistants.

Too often they feel undervalued in a system that already asks them to carry significant professional and emotional strain as they support children and families every day. Their voices, experiences, wisdom and passion must be central to this work.

And let’s also stand alongside them now to create a system where every teacher grows in confidence and expertise around SEND, and where every leader is emboldened to genuinely reimagine our schools as truly inclusive cultures that enable learning for all - welcoming those who are too often marginalised to flourish alongside their peers.

This can be an exciting, energising professional narrative running from those at the very start of their career right through to the most experienced senior leaders.

To realise it, we must ensure that the resourcing is right, the expectations are realistic and that we are not simply asking more of the same people without giving them the support they need to flourish.

Andy Wolfe is interim chief education officer at the Church of England

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