The government intends to end the SEND Tribunal’s power to name the educational setting where a pupil's special educational needs will be met. Under plans set out in a government consultation, published today, the tribunal will be limited to quashing a decision on an educational setting.

The consultation document, ‘SEND Reform: Putting Children and Young People First’, states: ‘The tribunal will consider whether the local authority’s decision is reasonable; if they find against the local authority, they can quash the original decision and order the local authority to reconsider. However, the tribunal will not name the placement for the child.’

The paper also states that government will amend ‘the current legal exception related to incompatibility with the “provision of efficient education for others” so that LAs are not required to name a school or setting in an [education health and care plan] where it is already full’.

In a joint foreword to the consultation, education secretary Bridget Phillipson and secretary of state for health and social care Wes Streeting say: ‘This consultation… is about the realisation of children’s rights… We make these changes because we have a moral mission to do our very best by each and every child in our country.’