Every child achieving and thriving

The long-awaited education policy white paper was published on 23 February. Entitled Every child achieving and thriving, The Forward notes:

This white paper is our plan to build a system that matches the ambition we have for our children, a system that works for the children neglected for too long, that stretches every child further, and sets them up to achieve and thrive.

The paper is built around the core principle that inclusion and high standards are “two sides of the same coin.” There are four key areas:

1. Radical SEND Reform & Inclusion

The most significant pillar of the white paper is a £4 billion investment to overhaul the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) system.

• Inclusive Mainstream Fund (£1.6bn): Direct funding for schools to provide small-group interventions at the first sign of a child struggling, rather than waiting for a formal diagnosis.
• “Experts at Hand” Service (£1.8bn): A local bank of specialists (speech therapists, educational psychologists, etc.) made available to schools on demand, ensuring children get help in their local school without parents having to “fight” for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
• National Inclusion Standards: New statutory requirements for what every school must provide as a “baseline” for pupils with additional needs.

2. Closing the “Disadvantage Gap”

The government has set an ambitious goal to decouple a child’s background from their educational success.

• Halving the Gap: The paper aims to halve the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and their peers by 2035.
• New Disadvantage Funding Model: Shifting how money is allocated to account for “persistent poverty” (how long a family has been low-income) and geographic deprivation.
• Targeted Attainment: An ambition for the average student to achieve a Grade 5 or higher in GCSEs, with intensive support for those furthest behind.

3. A “Broad” Curriculum & Enrichment

The paper criticizes the “narrowing” of education and pledges to expand what happens both inside and outside the classroom.

• The “Enrichment Entitlement”: A commitment to halving the gap in participation in arts, sports, and clubs between disadvantaged students and their wealthier peers.
• Curriculum Reform: Shifting toward a curriculum that builds “curiosity, resilience, and enterprise,” moving away from schools as “exam factories.”
• Attendance Recovery: A target to recover 20 million school days per year by 2029 (roughly 100,000 more pupils in school full-time).

4. Workforce & System Structure

To deliver these goals, the paper outlines structural changes to the teaching profession and school management.

• 6,500 Additional Teachers: A delivery plan to recruit new staff, specifically targeting “shortage subjects” and schools in deprived areas.
• “School Profiles”: A new “one-stop-shop” digital service for parents to see data on attendance, attainment, and—for the first time—enrichment opportunities.
• Community-Rooted Trusts: While the paper encourages schools to join Multi-Academy Trusts (MATs), it introduces a new “community collaboration” pillar by which these trusts will be judged.

Implementation Timeline

The reforms are set to roll out in three phases:

• 2025–2026: Aligning to best practices and initial funding.
• 2026–2027: Preparation for statutory SEND and curriculum reforms.
• 2028–2029: Full national implementation.

The white paper is available here.