ISPs vs EHCPs: What's the Difference and How Schools Should Prepare

The 2026 Schools White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, has introduced one of the biggest shifts to SEND provision in a decade. At the heart of it is a new document that many SENCOs are still trying to get their heads around: the Individual Support Plan (ISP).

If you're asking "what exactly is an ISP, how does it differ from an EHCP, and what does this mean for my school?" - you're not alone. This post breaks it all down clearly.

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What Is an EHCP?

An Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is a legally binding document issued by the local authority for children and young people with the most complex SEND needs. It sets out:

• The child's needs across education, health and care
• The specific support and provision they are entitled to
• Outcomes the child is working towards
• Named school or setting

EHCPs are statutory, meaning local authorities are legally required to deliver what is written in them. They are also time-intensive to produce - often taking months - and the system has been under significant strain, with growing demand and long waiting times for families.

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What Is an ISP?

An Individual Support Plan (ISP) is a new type of SEND document introduced under the 2026 reforms. Unlike an EHCP, ISPs are:

• Created and managed by schools (not the local authority)
• Available to all children with identified SEND - not just those with the most complex needs
• Designed to be practical, responsive and parent-friendly
• Required to outline the child's needs, day-to-day support, measurable outcomes, and review schedule
• Available in digital format
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According to the UK Parliament Research Briefing on the Schools White Paper, ISPs will be introduced for children receiving Targeted and Targeted Plus support - the two middle tiers of the new four-tier SEND model. Children with the most complex needs will continue to receive EHCPs.

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The New Four-Tier Model Explained

The reforms introduce a structured tiered approach to SEND support, replacing the previous binary of "has an EHCP" or "doesn't have an EHCP":

1. Universal - Quality-first teaching for all pupils, meeting the new National Inclusion Standards
2. Targeted - Additional structured support; child receives an ISP
3. Targeted Plus - More intensive support, still school-led; child receives an ISP
4. Specialist - Most complex needs; child receives a Specialist Provision Package and an EHCP

This means more children will have documented, formalised support plans than ever before - which is largely a positive shift, even if it adds new responsibilities for SENCOs.

For a full breakdown of the reforms, the DfE Education Hub's guide for parents is a helpful read.

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Will EHCPs Go Away?

Not immediately - and not entirely. Here's the timeline:

• EHCPs remain for children with the most complex needs for the foreseeable future
• ISPs become statutory from September 2029
• EHCP reassessments begin as children move between phases from 2029
• By 2035, EHCPs will be reserved solely for children with Specialist-level needs

So schools have time to prepare - but the direction of travel is clear, and getting your processes in order now will put you well ahead.

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What This Means for SENCOs in Practice

This is where the real work begins. Under the new system, SENCOs will be responsible for:

• Creating and maintaining ISPs for a potentially much larger group of pupils
• Ensuring ISPs are co-produced with parents and regularly reviewed
• Linking ISP outcomes to interventions and tracking progress against them
• Preparing for digital ISP formats ahead of the 2027 DfE standardisation requirement
• Continuing to manage existing EHCPs in parallel throughout the transition

That's a significant increase in both volume and complexity of documentation - without necessarily more time in the week.

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How to Start Preparing Now

You don't need to wait until 2029 to get ready. Here's what SENCOs can do today:

1. Audit your current provision - know which pupils sit in each tier of the new model
2. Review your existing documentation - start thinking about how your SEN support plans map to the new ISP format
3. Engage parents early - ISPs are designed to be co-produced; building those habits now will make the transition smoother
4. Go digital - the DfE expects digital ISPs by 2027, so move away from paper-based systems sooner rather than later
5. Use a platform that can flex - your SEND management system needs to handle both EHCPs and ISPs in one place, with clear outcome tracking and review workflows

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How Senflow Helps

Senflow is built for exactly this kind of complexity. Whether you're managing existing EHCPs, preparing ISP templates, tracking intervention outcomes, or getting ready for annual reviews, everything lives in one secure, intuitive platform - designed with SENCOs, for SENCOs.

As the system evolves, so will Senflow. Our roadmap includes full ISP support ahead of the statutory rollout, so your school won't be scrambling when the deadline arrives.

Start your free 6-week trial →

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The 2026 SEND reforms are still subject to consultation and some details are yet to be confirmed. We recommend monitoring updates from the DfE directly as guidance develops.

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