The DfE are hosting a series of online and in-person engagement events to support the formal consultation on SEND Reform. Many of these events are being delivered in partnership with the Council for Disabled Children (CDC). They want to hear from everyone with an interest in the consultation – including parents and carers, local authorities, schools, early years and further education settings, and health and social care representatives. They have also been working with CDC to deliver engagement sessions with children and young people – you can find out more here: Voices of children and young people in the SEND reforms.

Each event will provide an overview of the consultation areas and our vision for reform, followed by breakout groups to discuss key themes – you can choose the groups that are of most interest to you.

The breakout sessions will be:

• Working together to respond to needs early
• Parents as partners in the system
• Inclusive mainstream system
• Specialist support
• Support across the whole system and join up between organisations
• Accountability, redress and appeals
• Recording needs across all layers of support

This will build on the ongoing engagement that the DfE has been leading with the education sector including the mainstream inclusion RISE conferences, planned sector online broadcasts, and of course our discussions in various stakeholder meetings including the meetings we have with the Complex Needs Group and the SEND Development Group.

Space at events will be limited so that conversations can be meaningful and content will be the same at each event. Please do pass on to your networks to only register for one of the in-person events, so that as many people as possible can take part. If people are unable to secure a place, they can still access a range of information about the consultation through a series of five recorded information webinars.  See more here: SEND Reform Government Consultation Information Webinars

All the events below are listed together and available to book on the DfE main consultation homepage: SEND reform – Department for Education – Citizen Space

DfE Online event for parents and carers with Minister Georgia Gould

• Wednesday April 15 2026  Focus on SEND reform for parents and carers with the Schools Minister

DfE Online ministerial events for the education sector

• Wednesday 22 April 18:00-19:00 Focus on SEND reform in early years with the Early Education Minister
• Wednesday 29 April 4pm – 4:40pm Focus on SEND reform in primary schools with the Schools Minister
• Wednesday 29 April, 2026 from 5 pm to 5:40 pm Focus on SEND reform in secondary schools with the Schools Minister
• Sign up to receive an email update on the event for those working in post-16 hosted by the Skills Minister once this date is confirmed.

In person events hosted in partnership with CDC

• Monday 20 April – 10am – 2pm – East Midlands – Leicester
• Tuesday 28 April – 10am – 2pm – South West – Bristol
• Tuesday 5 May – 10am – 2pm – South East – Sevenoaks
• Wednesday 6 May – 10am – 2pm – North East – Darlington
• Friday 8 May 10am – 2pm – East of England – Stansted
• Monday 11 May – 10am – 2pm – West Midlands – Birmingham
• Tuesday 12 May – 10am – 2pm – North West – Liverpool
• Wednesday 13 May- 10am-2pm – London – Westminster

Online events hosted in partnership with CDC

• Tuesday 21 April- 4pm-6.30pm
• Wednesday 22 April – 9.30am – 12.30pm
• Monday 27 April 9.30am – 12.30pm
• Thursday 30 April – 9.30am – 12.30pm
• Friday 1 May – 9.30 am- 12.30pm