Hillingdon Local SEND Reform Plan 2026

www.hillingdon.gov.uk

Hillingdon SEND Together

Building an Inclusive Future for Children and Young People in Hillingdon

Delivering the Hillingdon SEND & AP Strategy through our SEND Reform Plan 2026-2029

R O E T D E U S Y R A A T T N O U N O E R H A E A A T H O S

Contents

Executive Summary 3

Introduction 6

What the changes will mean for children and families 7

Our Ambitions 9

1.The right support, at the right time, in the right place 10

• Fully inclusive education for all 12
• Provision meets the needs of Hillingdon’s children and young people 14
• Children and young people live happy and fulfilled lives where they are included in the community 16
• There is a flexible offer and range of intervention for children to access Alternative Provision 18
• Experts at Hand – Delivering All Five Ambitions

Local roadmap for the next 3 years 22

Appendices: 24

Appendix 1 - Acronyms 25

Appendix 2 - Cluster map of schools by locality 26

Appendix 3 - Coverage of Support Bases in Primary and Secondary Schools Based on New Clusters 27

Appendix 4 – Technical Delivery Roadmap and Performance Measures for the next 3 years 28

Executive Summary

Hillingdon is a large and diverse borough with a strong ambition that every child and young person with SEND should be able to grow up, learn, belong and thrive within their local community. Over recent years, we have made significant progress in strengthening inclusion, expanding local provision and improving partnership working across education, health and care. However, the new SEND reforms announced in the Every Child Achieving and Thriving white paper, along with increasing demand and a growing complexity of need, mean that further transformation is needed to ensure that support is available at the right time, in the right place and in a way that is sustainable for the future.

The SEND Reform Plan sits alongside and delivers the ambitions set out in Hillingdon’s SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Strategy 2023-2028. Together, these documents provide a clear vision for the future. The SEND and AP Strategy establishes our long-term aspirations for inclusion, belonging, attainment and positive life outcomes, while the SEND Reform Plan sets out the practical changes we will make to transform how support is delivered over the coming years.

Improving outcomes for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) is a shared responsibility. Families, schools, health partners, early years providers, colleges, community organisations and the Council all play a vital role in creating an inclusive system where children can thrive. Hillingdon’s SEND Reform Plan has been shaped through ongoing engagement with children and young people, parents and carers, schools, health partners and professionals, and reflects a collective ambition to build a more inclusive, responsive and sustainable SEND system.

This SEND Reform Plan sets out how the local area will build on the foundations already established through our SEND and Alternative Provision Strategy, our Local Area Improvement Plan and the improvements delivered since the 2024 Ofsted and CQC inspection. It reflects our commitment to moving from a system that has historically relied too heavily on escalation and statutory processes towards one that identifies needs earlier, intervenes sooner and supports more children successfully within their local schools and communities.

At the heart of both plans is a belief that children and young people should receive the right support at the right time, as close to home as possible. Families have told us they want earlier help, easier access to services, better communication and greater confidence that needs will be identified and supported before difficulties escalate. Schools have told us they want stronger specialist support around them, greater confidence in meeting a wider range of needs, and solutions that enable more children to remain successfully included within their local communities.

Our reform programme responds to these priorities by strengthening inclusion across mainstream schools and settings through the development of locality and cluster-based support models, enhanced specialist outreach services and earlier intervention. Through initiatives such as Experts at Hand, special school outreach, workforce development and strengthened partnership working, we will build the capacity of mainstream settings to meet a broader range of needs without children needing to move away from their local community.

For children and young people who require more specialist provision, the plan supports the continued development of high- quality local specialist places through the expansion of specialist bases, satellite provision and specialist placements where these are required. This reflects our ambition to ensure that more children can access appropriate provision within Hillingdon, maintain relationships with their peers and families, and experience a genuine sense of belonging within their community.

The plan also recognises that inclusion is about more than education. We will strengthen joint working across education, health and social care so that services are coordinated around the needs of children and families. This includes improvements to early identification, neurodiversity pathways, family support, preparation for adulthood and transitions between phases of education. We will improve the way services use data and intelligence to better understand need, plan provision and measure impact, ensuring resources are targeted where they can make the greatest difference.

Alongside these reforms, the local area partnership remains committed to improving outcomes for children and young people who require alternative provision. Aligned to the SEND and AP Strategy, we will continue to develop a more inclusive system where alternative provision is used purposefully, with clear pathways for reintegration where appropriate and stronger support for children with social, emotional and mental health needs. Our aim is to reduce exclusions, improve attendance and ensure that all children feel safe, valued and connected to their education.

Most children and young people with SEND, including many with Education, Health and Care Plans, will continue to have their needs successfully met within mainstream schools, supported by strengthened inclusion services and specialist advice when required. For those who need more specialist support, there will be a wider range of high-quality local provision available. Across all settings, we will work to ensure that children and young people experience a sense of belonging, achieve positive outcomes and are well prepared for adulthood.

Our ambition is simple but significant:

Every child and young person with SEND in Hillingdon should feel included, supported and able to achieve their potential.

By working together, listening to families and maintaining a relentless focus on improving outcomes, we will create a more inclusive, responsive and sustainable system that enables children and young people to thrive in their local community.

Introduction

Every child and young person deserves the opportunity to achieve, thrive and feel they belong. The Hillingdon SEND & AP Strategy set out five ambitions for children and young people with SEND. Our SEND Reform Plan explains how we will turn these ambitions into reality over the next three years. This document sets out what will change, what families can expect, and how we will measure success.

Our vision remains simple:

In Hillingdon, we are committed to building a SEND system where every child and young person is safe, supported early, and able to achieve and thrive. Our ambition is a fully inclusive, coherent, fair and financially sustainable 0–25 system operating seamlessly across education, health and social care, with support that is timely, local and effective.

The vision is underpinned by four goals:

Strengthen early identification

Needs identified early and met through timely, effective support.

High-quality mainstream inclusion

More children and young people with SEND thrive in local mainstream provision and feel they belong.

Needs-led continuum of provision

Sufficient mainstream, specialist and post-16 provision aligned to local need and delivering value for money.

Improve outcomes and confidence

Improved outcomes for children and young people, stronger family confidence, and co-produced partnerships that shape delivery.

What the changes will mean for children and families?

The reforms are intended to make support feel earlier, clearer and more joined up for children, young people and their families. Over the next three years, families should see a system that is easier to understand, where needs are identified sooner, support is available closer to home, and children are helped to feel that they belong in their local community.

• Earlier help before needs escalate: children’s needs will be

identified sooner through stronger early years support, better screening, clearer pathways and improved use of Family Hubs, schools and health services as front doors for support.

• More local provision and fewer long journeys: new support

bases, specialist bases and expanded local provision will mean more children can be educated closer to home, reducing travel time and helping them remain connected to friends, family and their local community.

• More consistent support in mainstream settings: families

should see schools and settings using clearer expectations for inclusive practice, with staff better equipped to adapt teaching, meet a wider range of needs and support children to remain successfully in their local school wherever possible.

• Greater clarity and confidence for families: the refreshed

Local Offer and stronger communication will make it easier for families to understand what support is available, how to access it, and what they can expect from schools, services and the wider SEND system.

• Specialist advice available sooner: through Experts at Hand,

outreach, therapies and advisory support, schools will have earlier access to specialists so that families do not have to wait until difficulties escalate or statutory processes begin before support is put in place.

• A stronger focus on children’s voice and belonging: children

and young people will be more involved in shaping their support, with greater attention to their attendance, wellbeing, friendships, transitions and preparation for adulthood.

• More joined-up services: education, health and social care

partners will work through clearer shared pathways, reducing the need for families to repeat their story and helping children receive coordinated support around their needs.

Our Ambitions

Hillingdon SEND & AP Strategy 2023-2028

Everything in the SEND Reform Plan is designed around five ambitions from our SEND and AP Strategy that will improve outcomes and experiences for children and young people with SEND.

Right support,

Range of Alternative

Happy and fulfilled lives Fully inclusive

Provision meets needs

right time, right place

Provision

Children and young people should receive support as soon as needs emerge rather than waiting until difficulties become more significant. Families should be able to access advice, guidance and support quickly through a joined-up system that is easy to navigate.

Ambition 1

The right support, at the right time, in the right place

Earlier identification and intervention

• Family Hubs as a front door for support

Family Hubs will become a key access point for families seeking advice and support. Families will be able to access early help, information and coordinated support from education, health and social care services in one place, reducing the need to navigate multiple systems. Inclusion Practitioners will help families understand available support and access the right services at the earliest opportunity.

• Universal screening and assessment

All schools will have access to screening tools such as Language Link and Nessy to identify speech, language, communication and literacy difficulties earlier. A graduated occupational therapy pathway and neurodevelopmental profiling approaches will support earlier and more consistent identification of need.

• Ordinarily Available Provision

A reviewed boroughwide Ordinarily Available Provision framework will clearly set out what support every school should provide without the need for specialist assessment or statutory intervention. This will help schools respond confidently to a wider range of needs and reduce variation in practice.

• Single 0–25 pathway

A joined-up pathway will be developed across education, health and social care so children and young people experience a more coordinated response. Families will benefit from clearer referral routes, more consistent support and improved transitions between services and life stages.

• Better access to therapies

Therapy services will be redesigned through Experts at Hand so that support can be accessed earlier, reducing waiting times and ensuring children receive advice and intervention before difficulties become more complex.

• Strengthened early years support

Early Health Notifications, the Early Years Tracking Panel and Special Educational Needs Inclusion Funding (SENIF) will be used to identify children who may need additional support as early as possible. Early years settings will receive greater guidance and support to put interventions in place quickly and reduce escalation of need.

How we will know we are making a difference. By 2029:

Earlier identification and intervention

• SEN Support increases from approximately 12% to 14.5%, demonstrating that more children are receiving support earlier without requiring statutory intervention.
• A consistent graduated response is embedded across early years, schools and post-16 settings.
• Universal screening tools are used routinely across schools and settings.
• More children access support through Family Hubs, schools and community services before difficulties escalate.

Reduced escalation

• Fewer children require specialist referrals because needs are identified and responded to earlier.
• Fewer needs escalate to specialist placements where support can be effectively delivered through mainstream provision.
• Improved attendance, engagement and wellbeing for children receiving early intervention support.

Family experience

• Families report that accessing support is easier.
• Families understand where to go for support and advice.
• Families feel concerns are listened to and addressed more quickly.

Every child and young person should feel welcomed, included and able to achieve within their local mainstream school wherever possible. Inclusion should be everyone’s responsibility, supported by strong partnerships and specialist expertise.

Ambition 2

Fully inclusive education for all

Inclusive schools where every child belongs

National Inclusion Standards and Inclusion Framework

• All schools will work towards a shared Inclusion Framework

aligned to National Inclusion Standards. This will establish clear expectations for inclusive practice, fully embed Ordinarily Available Provision, strengthen consistency across schools and ensure that children experience the same high standards of support regardless of where they attend school.

SENCO development and outreach

• A SENCO mentoring programme will support new and developing

SENCOs. Outreach support from special schools, SEND specialists and alternative provision settings will help mainstream schools build confidence and capability to meet more complex needs.

Attendance and inclusion pathways

• New approaches for Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance

(EBSNA) through the EBSNA Protocol and SEMH support will help schools identify concerns earlier and put preventive support in place to reduce absence and avoid placement breakdown.

Locality clusters

• Schools, specialist services and family support services will work

together through locality clusters aligned to Family Hubs. This will allow schools to share expertise, improve transitions, solve challenges collaboratively, access support more effectively through multi-agency partnerships, enable resources to be deployed according to local need and support shared responsibility for children with SEND.

How we will know we are making a difference. By 2029:

Inclusion in mainstream schools

• The proportion of children with EHCPs educated in mainstream schools increases from 54% to 59%.
• Schools are consistently implementing National Inclusion Standards and Ordinarily Available Provision.
• Variation in inclusive practice between schools significantly reduces.

Workforce confidence

• Greater participation in SEND Reviews, Learning Walks and workforce development programmes.
• Increased confidence among SENCOs and school staff in meeting a wider range of needs.
• Increased engagement with locality clusters, CAAS Transition support, mentoring and special schools outreach support.

Attendance and belonging

• Attendance improves by approximately 2% across mainstream, SEND and EHCP cohorts.
• Reduced suspensions and exclusions for children and young people with SEND.
• More children report feeling safe, supported and that they belong in their school community.

Family confidence

• Families have increased confidence that mainstream schools can meet their child’s needs.
• Fewer requests for specialist placements driven by lack of confidence in mainstream provision.

Children and young people should have access to a graduated continuum of provision that meets a wide range of needs, while remaining as close to home as possible.

Ambition 3

Provision meets the needs of Hillingdon’s children and young people

A stronger local continuum of provision

Support Bases and Specialist Bases

• Additional support bases and specialist bases will be developed

across Hillingdon to provide more targeted support closer to home. This will create a broader range of options between mainstream and specialist settings and improve access to support for children with differing levels of need.

Data-led sufficiency planning

• Future provision development will be driven by local needs data, ensuring the right types of places are developed in the right locations and that support keeps pace with demand.

Better placement decisions

• Placement decisions will be informed by individual need, evidence and professional advice so children access the most appropriate provision at the right time.

Early years and post-16 expansion

• The Reform Plan includes the development of additional specialist

provision in early years settings and expansion of specialist post- 16 provision, ensuring support is available throughout a child’s educational journey.

Quality assurance of provision

• A quality assurance framework will ensure all specialist provision delivers consistently high standards and positive outcomes for children and young people.

Capital Expansion Delivery Timeline

• 6 x Secondary support bases (+96)
• 1 x new specialist-base secondary (+32)
• 1 x new Early-years specialst base (+16)
• 75 x place satellite special provision (being developed)
• More sensory rooms approved
• 10 x Primary support bases (+120)
• 1 x new specialist-base secondary (+32)
• 1 x new Early-years specialst base (+16)

26/27 +24

28/29 +186

• New secondary specialist

base opens - Bishop Ramsey

• Work with schools to identify

support bases and sensory room projects

• 6 x Secondary support bases (+96)
• 1 x new specialist-base secondary (+32)
• Post-16 FE Base (+50)
• 1 x new Early-years specialst base (+16)

27/28 +211

29/30 +160

Four year programme 2026/27 - 2029/30 581 places accross four years

How we will know we are making a difference. By 2029:

More children educated locally

• Greater proportion of children educated within Hillingdon provision.
• More children access support bases and specialist bases closer to home.

Better placement stability

• Increased proportion of children accessing provision matched to need first time.
• Reduced placement breakdown.
• Improved transitions across phases and settings.

Increased local capacity

• 312 additional Support Base places created.
• 130 additional Specialist Base places created.
• Additional specialist post-16 places.
• Expanded specialist early years provision available in local communities.

Better value for money

• Use of pre-16 Independent Non-Maintained Special Schools reduces from 3.8% to 2.6%.
• Reduced transport costs through more local provision.
• Improved sustainability of High Needs spending.

Children and young people should achieve positive outcomes, feel a strong sense of belonging, enjoy good health and wellbeing, and participate fully in their communities.

Ambition 4

Children and young people live happy and fulfilled lives where they are included in the community

Children and young people thriving in their communities

Hello Local Offer refresh

• The Hello Local Offer will be refreshed to provide clearer, more

accessible information about services, support and pathways available to families. The aim is to make it easier for families to find help and understand what support is available.

Improved communication

• The partnership will improve communication with families, ensuring information is clearer, more consistent and easier to access.

Improving belonging and wellbeing

• Support across education, health and social care will focus not only on educational outcomes but also on attendance, wellbeing, participation and belonging within local communities.

Stronger co-production

• Children, young people and families will play a greater role in shaping services through ongoing co-production, engagement and participation in decision-making and governance.

How we will know we are making a difference. By 2029:

Better outcomes for children and young people

• Improved attendance across SEND and EHCP cohorts.
• Improved participation in education and community life.
• Improved wellbeing and resilience.
• Children and young people report a stronger sense of belonging.

Co-production and voice

• Evidence that children and young people’s voices influence planning, governance and decision making.
• Parent Carer Forum actively shaping improvement activity.
• Increased participation of children, young people and families in service design.

Improved confidence in the SEND system

• Greater engagement with Hello Local Offer.
• Increased parental confidence in SEND services.
• More families feeling informed and involved in decisions affecting their child.

A more effective system

• More children achieve their outcomes due to appropriate

support, resulting in fewer EHCPs needing to be maintained, from approximately 9% to 11–12%.

• Improved quality and consistency of support through stronger partnership working.

Children and young people should have access to flexible provision and support when mainstream education becomes difficult, while maintaining high aspirations and strong preparation for adulthood.

Ambition 5

This is a flexible offer and range of intervention for children to access alternative provision

Supporting children and young people to succeed

EBSNA and SEMH pathways

• New pathways will help schools identify and respond earlier to

emotional wellbeing and attendance concerns. These pathways will provide coordinated support from education, health and SEND services to prevent difficulties escalating and support children to remain engaged in education.

Post-16 and employment pathways

• Young people will have access to improved pathways into further

education, training, employment and independent living. Planning for adulthood will be informed by young people’s strengths, interests and aspirations.

Alternative Provision as part of the continuum

• Alternative Provision will increasingly focus on reintegration,

engagement and positive outcomes, helping children remain connected to education and supporting successful transitions back into mainstream provision where appropriate.

Mental Health Support Teams

• Mental Health Support Team coverage will continue to expand, providing schools with additional expertise to support emotional wellbeing and mental health needs.

Preparation for Adulthood

• Preparation for Adulthood will be embedded from Year 9 onwards, helping young people develop independence, confidence, employment skills and aspirations for the future.

How we will know we are making a difference. By 2029:

Improved preparation for adulthood

• Preparation for Adulthood embedded across the system from Year 9 onwards.
• Young people have clearer pathways into employment, education and training.
• Greater independence and community participation.

Better educational outcomes

• NEET levels for young people with EHCPs reduce from 16.1% to 13%.
• More young people successfully transition to post-16 provision, employment or training.
• Improved participation in further education and supported employment pathways.

Reduced exclusion and disengagement

• Reduced use of Alternative Provision as a long-term placement.
• Improved reintegration outcomes.
• Reduced Emotionally Based School Non-Attendance through earlier intervention and SEMH support.

Better life outcomes

• Young people report feeling better prepared for adulthood.
• Greater confidence, independence and aspirations.
• Stronger support during key transition points.

Experts at Hand – Delivering All Five Ambitions

Experts at Hand is the support offer that underpins the delivery of the SEND Reform Plan.

Through locality clusters aligned to Family Hubs, schools will have access to coordinated specialist support including Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, SEMH specialists, specialist teachers, SEND Inclusion Support Officers, outreach services and specialist screening tools. The model provides support at Universal, Targeted and Targeted Plus levels, helping schools identify needs earlier, strengthen inclusion, improve outcomes and ensure more children can thrive in their local community.

It supports:

• Earlier identification and intervention.
• Inclusive mainstream schools.
• Better matching of provision to need.
• Improved wellbeing and belonging.
• Preparation for adulthood and successful transitions.

Experts at Hand includes:

By 2029, Experts at Hand will have contributed to:

• Earlier identification of need.
• Reduced reliance on statutory processes and specialist referrals where support can be delivered earlier.
• Increased confidence of mainstream schools to meet a wider range of needs.
• More pupils with SEND successfully educated in mainstream settings.
• Reduced exclusions and improved attendance.
• Improved parental confidence in local support and provision.
• Improved outcomes, preparation for adulthood and long-term life chances for children and young people with SEND.

Local roadmap for the next 3 years

The SEND Reform Plan sets out a comprehensive transformation of Hillingdon’s SEND system over the next three years, moving from a model that often relies on statutory assessment to access support and specialist placements towards one focused on earlier intervention, stronger mainstream inclusion, greater local capacity and long-term financial sustainability.

By 2029, the system will operate as a joined-up 0-25 partnership across education, health and social care, ensuring children receive the right support at the right time and in the right place.

Early intervention and earlier support The plan will create a consistent graduated response across early years, schools and post-16 settings so that needs are identified and addressed much earlier. Family Hubs will become the main front door for support, supported by a single integrated 0-25 pathway, universal screening approaches, improved access to therapies and a stronger multi-agency offer. Ordinarily Available Provision will be embedded across all settings, with consistent expectations, shared education, health and social care guidance and stronger support for SENCOs. The new Experts at Hand model will provide earlier access to multidisciplinary expertise, enabling schools and families to access support before needs escalate.

Inclusion in mainstream schools A major focus of the plan is ensuring more children with SEND can thrive in their local mainstream school. Hillingdon will implement a borough-wide Inclusion Framework aligned to National Inclusion Standards, supported by stronger adaptive teaching, inclusive practice and locality-based partnerships between schools. Every school will have access to coordinated outreach, specialist advice and multidisciplinary support through Experts at Hand, special school outreach and SENCO networks.

Over time, schools will become more confident in meeting a wider range of needs and variation between schools will reduce. Parents will have greater confidence that mainstream schools can successfully support their children, leading to fewer requests for specialist placements and fewer disputes. By 2029, the proportion of children with EHCPs educated in mainstream schools will increase from 54% to 59%, attendance will improve and suspension rates will fall significantly. Children and young people will also report a stronger sense of belonging and inclusion.

As a result, fewer children will require Education, Health and Care Needs Assessments, individual specialist referrals and specialist placements because needs will be identified and met earlier. Attendance, wellbeing and engagement will improve, while exclusions, suspensions and variation between schools will reduce.

Earlier support will not remove or restrict any child or young person’s right to a statutory assessment or a Plan where this is required. Decisions will continue to be based on individual need, evidence and statutory duties. The purpose of earlier intervention is to ensure that children receive effective support sooner, not to create barriers to statutory provision.

Expanding local provision and reducing dependence on specialist placements The plan includes a significant expansion of local SEND provision so more children can be educated close to home. Additional support bases, specialist bases, specialist early years provision and post-16 pathways will be developed, creating a coherent continuum between mainstream and specialist education. Specialist support will increasingly be available within mainstream settings, ensuring that children can access flexible support while remaining part of their local community.

Better preparation for adulthood The reforms also place a strong emphasis on improving life outcomes for young people with SEND. Preparation for adulthood will be strengthened through better transition planning, increased supported internship opportunities, stronger post-16 pathways and improved employment support. Mental health, neurodevelopmental and attendance pathways will be fully integrated into locality services, ensuring young people receive coordinated support as they move towards adulthood.

By 2029, fewer young people with EHCPs will be not in education, employment or training, supported internship opportunities will increase, and more young people will have successfully achieved their outcomes and progressed into adulthood.

By 2029, Hillingdon plans to create:

• 312 new support base places in mainstream schools
• 130 new specialist base places in mainstream schools
• 24 additional specialist early years places
• 50 additional specialist post-16 places
• 75 additional special school satellite places for children with the most complex needs

Stronger governance, partnership working and financial sustainability The final element of the plan focuses on creating a sustainable SEND system. Governance arrangements will become more mature, with shared accountability across education, health and care. Multi-agency data systems, performance dashboards and intelligence tools will support evidence-based decision making. Co-production with families and young people will be embedded at every level, ensuring services are shaped by lived experience.

Alongside these projects, there will also be an opportunity for schools to develop their own sensory rooms, with capital funding awarded to projects where schools can demonstrate improved inclusion using sensory rooms to meet a wider range of needs.

This capital expansion will reduce reliance on independent and non-maintained special schools, shorten travel times, lower transport costs and improve parental confidence in local provision. More children will experience stable transitions and better continuity of support throughout their education.

The reforms aim to reduce reliance on high-cost placements, improve value for money and strengthen local provision. Average placement costs, transport costs and EHCP costs are all expected to reduce over time as more needs are met earlier and locally. Through stronger commissioning, more local capacity and increased mainstream inclusion, Hillingdon local area partnership aims to achieve a financially sustainable SEND system that delivers better outcomes for children while maintaining control of High Needs expenditure.

More details of the local roadmap are provided in Appendix 4.

Appendices:

• Appendix 1: Acronyms

• Appendix 2: Cluster map of schools by locality

• Appendix 3: Coverage of Support Bases in Primary

and Secondary Schools Based on New Clusters

• Appendix 4: Local roadmap for the next 3 years

Appendix 1:

Acronyms

Appendix 2:

Cluster map of schools by locality

The new locality clusters will bring schools and settings together in geographical groups so that support is planned and delivered closer to where children live and learn.

Each cluster will connect early years, schools, post-16 settings and multi-agency partners, with SEND Inclusion Support Officers helping to coordinate access to both existing services and the Experts at Hand offer. This will make it easier for schools to know who to contact, access specialist advice earlier, share expertise with other local settings and support smoother transitions. Over time, the clusters should reduce variation between schools, strengthen inclusion in mainstream settings and help more children receive the right support locally, without needs escalating unnecessarily.

Appendix 3:

Coverage of Support Bases in Primary and Secondary Schools Based on New Clusters

The table below shows an analysis of the spread of inclusion bases across Hillingdon’s new school clusters. It demonstrates the level of local SEND provision available in each area, including how many mainstream schools there are, how many have support or specialist bases, the number of pupils accessing them, and the types of need being met. The table enables the local area to consider where further development may be needed to improve local access and ensure a more balanced offer across the borough.

Appendix 4:

Technical Delivery Roadmap and Performance Measures for the next 3 years

The local roadmap explains the three-year plan for turning the SEND Reform Plan into practical change for children, families, schools and partners.

In plain terms, it shows how Hillingdon will move from a system that can feel reactive, complex and dependent on formal processes, towards one where needs are identified earlier, support is easier to access, and services work together around families. The roadmap means clearer expectations about what support schools and services should provide, more consistent help through Family Hubs, screening, therapies and specialist advice, and stronger inclusive practice in mainstream schools so more children can thrive locally.

It also sets out how Hillingdon will expand support bases, specialist bases, early years, post-16 and special school provision so more children can be educated closer to home, with better transitions and fewer placement breakdowns. By 2029, the aim is for families to experience a clearer, fairer and more joined-up SEND system, shaped by parent and young people’s voices, with stronger accountability, better use of data and a more sustainable approach to meeting children’s needs. This appendix provides detailed milestones and measures for partners and those who wish to understand how delivery will be monitored. The main sections of this plan provide the public-facing summary.

Strengthen commissioning and framework delivery

• Complete the satellite provision in the north

of the borough and prepare for operational delivery to support children with more complex needs closer to home.

• Continue to support special schools

transitioning from Moderate Learning Difficulties to more complex provision, aligning capacity with current profiles of need.

• Identify potential venues for specialist school

bases and early years provision in mainstream settings, aligned to the banding framework and admissions guidance to ensure consistent, needs-led placement decisions.

• Strengthen and collaboratively recommission

the Alternative Provision framework by embedding tiered thresholds, clear entry and exit criteria, referral pathways, reintegration expectations and outcomes monitoring, aligned to the three tier/ APST model; review and further develop the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) to improve quality, flexibility and capacity, map provision against need and identify gaps (particularly in primaryage AP), and establish a blended commissioning approach where capacity is constrained through contracting provision via DPS, partnering regionally for specialist need and sharing expertise across the local area and neighbouring systems.

Implement and Embed System Consistency

• Open expanded special school provision,

including the satellite provision, to reduce reliance on independent and out-of-borough placements and associated transport costs.

• Embed the evolving role of special schools,

including strengthened outreach to mainstream settings.

• Special School Satellite provision opens for

SLD/PMLD + 75 places.

• Implement the collaboratively

recommissioned Alternative Provision model through the Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS), embedding the three tier/ APST approach with consistent referral processes, clear entry and exit criteria, timelimited interventions, strengthened accountability, outcomebased contracts and robust quality assurance; establish a more consistent primaryage AP offer to support earlier intervention, and adopt a blended commissioning approach where capacity is constrained by contracting provision locally via DPS, partnering regionally for specialist need, and sharing expertise across the system to ensure quality, sufficiency and flexibility.

Deliver a Fully Integrated and Sustainable System

• Deliver full special school expansion,

including 75 additional places, ensuring children with the most complex needs are educated closer to home and reducing reliance on high-cost placements.

• Progress delivery of post-16 expansion,

increasing local pathways into adulthood.

• Embed a consistent, highquality three tier/

APST Alternative Provision model operating as a fully integrated, outcomes focused system, with a stable, qualityassured provider market through the DPS, consistent thresholds, strong early intervention and reintegration pathways; fully embed preventative approaches, including a robust primaryage AP offer, to reduce escalation and exclusions, while sustaining a blended commissioning approach where capacity is constrained through local DPS provision, regional partnerships for specialist need, and ongoing sharing of expertise to ensure quality, sufficiency and improved outcomes for children and young people.

Special school and Alternative Provision and expansion

3. Children and young people receive timely, high-quality support and are prepared for adulthood.

Building block 2- Inclusion in Mainstream Schools

2-3% increase in ceased EHCPs; Baseline 9%

Ceased EHCPs -Increase to 9.5% Ceased EHCPs - Increase to 10.5% Ceased EHCPs - Increase to 11-12% Supported Internships- 9% increase to 16 placements Supported Internships- 12% increase to 17 placements Supported Internships- 15% increase to 18 placements Increase uptake of Supported Internships by 15%; Baseline: 15 placements 1% reduction in number of NEET (EHCP 16-24) to 15.1% 2% reduction number of NEET (EHCP 16-24) to 14.1% 3.1% reduction number of NEET (EHCP 16-24) to 13% Decrease No of NEET (EHCP 16-24) by 3.1%; Baseline: 16.1%

4. More children and young people are educated locally in the right provision. Building block 3 - Sufficiency of Specialist Provision

Maintain local placements at transition; Local placements at transition: 85% (secondary); 81% (post-16); Baseline: 81%-85%

Local placements at transition maintained Local placements at transition maintained Local placements at transition maintained Between 81%- 86% Between 81%- 87% Between 81%- 90% 0.2% reduction of Pre- 16 INMSS to 3.6% 0.5% reduction of Pre- 16 INMSS to 3.1% 0.5% reduction of Pre- 16 INMSS to 2.6% Reduction of Pre- 16 INMSS to 2.6%; Baseline: Pre-16 INMSS: 3.8% (144 CYP) Early Years Specialist Base placements 8 Early Years specialist bases places – 8+8=16 Early Years specialist bases places – 16+8=24 Primary & secondary support bases places – 137 (new places are being developed to open next year so the baseline remains the same) Primary and secondary support bases places-137 + 96 = 233 Primary and secondary support bases places-233 + 96 = 329 Increase specialist places Early Years Specialist Base placements; Baseline:8; Primary & secondary support bases places - 137

5. The SEND system is financially sustainable and delivers value for money. Building block 4 -System Leadership, Governance and Financial Accountability.

• New EHCPs £12,964
• New EHCPs costs reduced by 3% to £12,575
• New EHCPs costs reduced by further by 3% to £12,197
• New EHCPs costs reduced further by 3% to £11,831
• Transport 25/26:
• Transport 26/27:
• Transport 27/28 baseline for reduction:
• Transport 28/29:
• £15.252m overall reduction in costs by 3%
• no reduction this year due to increase in demand, estimated cost £15.963m
• £16.007m
• Overall transport cost reduction by 3%

from 27/28 baseline to £15.914m and 3% each year after