UK Government Approves SEND Reform Plans for Isle of Wight and Oxfordshire

The UK government has approved three-year Local SEND Reform Plans for both the Isle of Wight Council and Oxfordshire County Council to improve support for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Both plans emphasize creating inclusive, needs-led systems that increase support within mainstream schools and expand specialist provision closer to students' homes.

In the Isle of Wight, the government provided an indicative High Needs Stability Grant of £14,460,532 to address historic funding pressures. The region will implement an Ordinarily Available Provision framework and an "Experts at Hand" model. Beth Dyer, service director for education at the Isle of Wight Council, stated that the approval shows confidence in the direction of travel for the island.

Similarly, Oxfordshire County Council received approval for a £4.9 million reform plan. This investment includes the recruitment of additional therapists and educational psychologists through its own "experts at hand" offer, the creation of inclusion support bases in mainstream schools, and the establishment of locality-based teams. The council expects a high needs stability grant to reduce a dedicated schools grant deficit caused by rising demand for education, health, and care plans.