The government has announced a £200 million national training programme on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), alongside a proposed new requirement in the SEND Code of Practice that all education staff receive training on SEND and inclusion.
The programme, unveiled by the Department for Education (DfE) on 16 January 2026, is intended to address long-standing concerns about inconsistency in SEND training across the education workforce and forms a central part of the government’s wider SEND reform agenda.
According to the DfE, nearly half of primary and secondary teachers report that additional training would improve their confidence in supporting pupils with SEND. The new initiative aims to establish a minimum expectation that every teacher, across early years, schools and colleges, has a baseline understanding of how to identify and support a wide range of needs within mainstream settings.
Scope and structure of the training
The £200 million investment will fund new training courses available to all teaching staff, including teaching assistants and support staff. The courses are designed to deepen understanding of how classroom practice can be adapted to meet diverse needs, including support for pupils with visual impairments, speech and language needs, and other additional needs.
Training content will include the use of assistive technology, such as speech-to-text tools, and strategies for promoting wider awareness of additional needs among pupils. The DfE has indicated that the training will be delivered flexibly, combining online self-study with in-person sessions, in recognition of workforce workload pressures.
A key policy change underpinning the programme is a proposed update to the SEND Code of Practice, setting out a new expectation that all staff in nurseries, schools and colleges receive training on SEND and inclusion. This would extend beyond current arrangements, which largely focus on initial teacher training, early career development and leadership pathways.
