Updated on
August 14, 2026
Individual Support Plans: A Teacher's Guide
What the SEND white paper says about individual support plans, and what teachers and SENCOs should actually do differently in response.
Individual Support Plans (ISPs) are new SEND documents. They were announced in the Department for Education's February 2026 Schools White Paper, 'Every Child Achieving and Thriving'. They are designed to make planning simpler for learners with identified special educational needs. They do not replace Education, Health and Care Plans for learners with the most complex needs. EHCPs are retained.
Key Takeaways
- EHCPs are retained, not replaced: The 2026 SEND reforms keep Education, Health and Care Plans for learners with the most complex needs. ISPs add an additional planning tier for the wider SEND population.
- Phased transition begins 2029: From 2029 onwards, children will be assessed for either an ISP or a more specialist EHCP. Existing EHCPs remain in place until at least September 2030.
- Implementation detail is still in consultation: The Department for Education has not yet published full statutory guidance. School-level practice will firm up as detailed regulations follow the White Paper.
- Current SEND practice remains: Until implementation guidance lands, schools should continue to follow the 2015 SEND Code of Practice and the existing graduated approach (assess, plan, do, review).
What the White Paper actually says
The Schools White Paper, published 23 February 2026, announces a phased reform of the SEND system in England. Two planning instruments will sit alongside one another:
- Individual Support Plans (ISPs): a new digital plan covering the broader population of learners with identified SEND. ISPs are designed to be faster to create and review than current arrangements.
- Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs): retained for learners with the most complex needs. The White Paper signals that EHCPs will be "improved" rather than withdrawn.
The transition is phased: from 2029, new assessments will route to either an ISP or a specialist EHCP. Current EHCPs will stay valid until at least September 2030. The full transition window extends beyond that.
What teachers and SENCOs should do now
Continue working under the 2015 SEND Code of Practice. The graduated approach (assess, plan, do, review) and SEN Support remain the standard way of working for most learners. For learners with current EHCPs, those plans stay in effect.
Avoid presenting ISPs to families as a finished decision that cannot be changed. The final details are still being consulted on. These include templates, legal timeframes, appeal rights, and funding paths. Schools that build internal systems before legal guidelines arrive risk having to change them when final rules are published.
SENCOs should follow DfE announcements and NASEN guidance for updates on how to use these plans. Once the official statutory guidance is published, we will expand this guide.
Sources
- Department for Education (2026). Schools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving. Published on 23 February 2026.
- Department for Education (2015). Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years.
We will update this article when the Department for Education publishes detailed guides and legal rules for Individual Support Plans.
Individual Support Plans (ISPs) are new SEND documents. They were announced in the Department for Education's February 2026 Schools White Paper, 'Every Child Achieving and Thriving'. They are designed to make planning simpler for learners with identified special educational needs. They do not replace Education, Health and Care Plans for learners with the most complex needs. EHCPs are retained.
What the White Paper actually says
The Schools White Paper, published 23 February 2026, announces a phased reform of the SEND system in England. Two planning instruments will sit alongside one another:
- Individual Support Plans (ISPs): a new digital plan covering the broader population of learners with identified SEND. ISPs are designed to be faster to create and review than current arrangements.
- Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs): retained for learners with the most complex needs. The White Paper signals that EHCPs will be "improved" rather than withdrawn.
The transition is phased: from 2029, new assessments will route to either an ISP or a specialist EHCP. Current EHCPs will stay valid until at least September 2030. The full transition window extends beyond that.
What teachers and SENCOs should do now
Continue working under the 2015 SEND Code of Practice. The graduated approach (assess, plan, do, review) and SEN Support remain the standard way of working for most learners. For learners with current EHCPs, those plans stay in effect.
Avoid presenting ISPs to families as a finished decision that cannot be changed. The final details are still being consulted on. These include templates, legal timeframes, appeal rights, and funding paths. Schools that build internal systems before legal guidelines arrive risk having to change them when final rules are published.
SENCOs should follow DfE announcements and NASEN guidance for updates on how to use these plans. Once the official statutory guidance is published, we will expand this guide.
Sources
- Department for Education (2026). Schools White Paper: Every Child Achieving and Thriving. Published on 23 February 2026.
- Department for Education (2015). Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years.
We will update this article when the Department for Education publishes detailed guides and legal rules for Individual Support Plans.
