What the SEND White Paper means for your child's physiotherapy support

The Schools White Paper proposes significant changes to how SEND support is delivered. Physiotherapy is not included in the funded 'Experts at Hand' service, creating a gap families may need to fill privately.

In February 2026, the Government published its Schools White Paper 'Every Child Achieving and Thriving', proposing a new four-tier SEND structure: Universal, Targeted, Targeted Plus (a new 'Experts at Hand' service), and Specialist (EHCP). The consultation closed on 18 May 2026. These are proposals, not yet law.

Physiotherapy is not named in the Experts at Hand tier. For the majority of children who need physiotherapy, the EHCP remains the route to statutory provision.

For children currently in Year 3 or above, existing EHCPs will be protected until at least age 16. For children in Year 2 or below, the picture is less certain. They will be reassessed at the transition from primary to secondary school (Year 7), and their EHCP is not automatically protected through that transition.

Families with younger children should consider whether their child's current EHCP is as specific and well-evidenced as it can be before that transition point arrives. Independent physiotherapy reports that describe need clearly and recommend provision in quantified terms strengthen the plan and make it harder to dilute at review.

Thrive provides the independent physiotherapy assessments and written reports families need to navigate this transition, whether in annual reviews, reassessments, or SEND Tribunal proceedings. Our reports are written by physiotherapists who are members of the Medico Legal Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (MLACP) and trained in expert witness report writing through Bond Solon.