Government has approved East Sussex's SEND reform plan, unlocking a grant for 90% of its schools deficit. What changes for Crowborough families, and when.
The Government has approved East Sussex County Council’s plan for changing support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and with it the county becomes eligible for a grant covering 90 per cent of the deficit on its schools budget.
The council announced the approval on 8 October. Approval makes it eligible for a High Needs Stability Grant worth 90 per cent of the deficit on its schools grant. The council’s announcement does not say how large that deficit is, or how much the grant will be in pounds.
For families in Crowborough, Uckfield and the rest of Wealden, the plan is the county’s local version of the national SEND reforms the Government announced in February 2026. It sets out what the council, the NHS, schools and colleges will change over the next three years.
What the plan promises
The council says the central commitment is that children with SEND get help earlier, have their needs identified more quickly, and can “thrive in their local school or setting wherever possible”.
The plan’s published summary is built on four “building blocks”:
- working with schools on inclusion;
- “Experts at Hand”, a team of specialists schools can call on;
- stronger leadership and partnership working, with families involved in shaping services;
- a plan for SEND school places.
Experts at Hand is the part families are most likely to notice. The council says it will recruit additional speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, educational psychologists and specialist teachers “so that schools can access advice and support more easily when children and young people need extra help”. The plan says schools and settings will reach that support through a “navigator”, and that a recruitment campaign for therapists will run in 2026-27. Specialist teachers for social, emotional and mental health needs follow in 2027-28. The announcement does not say how many staff will be recruited.
Places. In 2026-27 the council will work with schools to open new specialist bases already in development, and will invite schools to put themselves forward for more. Later in the plan it will support new post-16 special school provision in Eastbourne. One of the stated goals is “increased local capacity in specialist bases” and less reliance on “high-cost out-of-area placements”.
Waiting times. The plan commits to continue work to cut NHS waiting times for wheelchairs, CAMHS (children and young people’s mental health services) and neurodevelopmental assessments, and in 2027-28 to look at support for families while they wait.
Early years and post-16. New Best Start in Life practitioners will work in early years settings and Family Hubs. Colleges will get their own version of the support available to all pupils, and post-19 planning reviews will bring in families, employment services and adult social care.
What the council says
Cllr Paul Soane, the county council’s lead member for Education and Inclusion, Special Educational Needs and Disability, said: “Government approval reflects the hard work and commitment of partners across East Sussex to develop a plan that will make a real difference to the lives of children and young people with SEND and their families.
“Our shared ambition is for children and young people to get the right support at the right time, helping them to learn, develop, participate in their communities and achieve their potential.”
He added: “While this is an important milestone, the focus now is on delivering the improvements set out in the plan. Schools, early years settings, colleges, health services, social care and the local authority all have a vital role to play in making sure children and families see the benefits.
“The High Needs Stability Grant also reduces financial pressures that have built up over several years and gives us a stronger foundation to invest in the changes needed to improve outcomes for children and young people.”
Who wrote it, and who checks it
The plan was drawn up by a local area partnership: the county council, the NHS Integrated Care Board, schools, trusts and colleges, and families and young people with SEND, along with other services that support them.
A SEND Strategy Governance Board, with an independent chair, will meet regularly to monitor progress. The council says its members include parents and carers, young people, schools and settings, and health, education and social care professionals. The plan says success will be measured against national averages and local baseline figures, and through feedback from families.
The goals it sets for 2029 include more children with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) staying in their local school, better attendance, fewer permanent exclusions of pupils with SEND, and more young people with SEND in education, employment or training.
What it means for you
- If your child has SEND or you think they might, nothing changes overnight. The plan runs from 2026 to 2029, and the council says the work now is in delivering it.
- If you want a say, the plan includes a co-production panel with parents, training for schools run by the East Sussex Parent Carer Forum, and a SEND Reform Focus group for young people. The Local Offer’s SEND strategy page links to the “Have Your Say” route and to the Governance Board.
- For advice, the plan says SENDIASS will be commissioned to make sure families can get information and advice in the run-up to the full reforms.
- To read it yourself, the Local SEND Reform Plan summary (PDF) and the county’s SEND Strategy 2026-2030 summary for families (PDF) are both on the Local Offer site.
School holidays for the year ahead are on our Crowborough school term dates page.
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