The government is set to publish its Schools White Paper today, which includes plans to spend £4 billion on support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Mainstream schools are to receive a share of £1.6 billion over three years to boost inclusion, while another £1.8 billion will aim to provide better access to external support. Speaking to school leaders and charities at an education roundtable in Downing Street earlier, education secretary Bridget Phillipson said the school reforms will "deliver better life chances for children".

Across the media, a number of families share their views with on the forthcoming changes, including Ailith Harley-Roberts from Leeds, whose daughter Thalia has Down's syndrome. She tells BBC News that education, health and care plans (EHCPs) give children "vital, legally enforceable rights", and the leaked government proposals have been causing increasing anxiety among the families she is in contact with. Ailith explains she is worried that young people with lifelong conditions might face unnecessary reassessments and risk losing the support they need. "While the system is far from perfect, I'm grateful my daughter's needs have been properly assessed and recognised," she adds. By Angus Thompson and Owen Amos.

The Guardian is also running a live newsfeed covering the story as it breaks this morning, with a link to the government's press release on the SEND reforms, issued overnight. By Andrew Sparrow. Also covered by John Roberts for Tes and Freddie Whittaker for Schools Week. 

The new four-tier SEND system risks forcing children with additional needs to "wait for failure" before receiving appropriate support, the National Association of Special Schools (NASS) has warned. A membership association of nearly 500 independent and state special schools across England and Wales, NASS has expressed concern that a tiered system "risks delaying support rather than improving inclusion". By Connie Dimsdale, iNews.

In an article for The Times, Sir Keir Starmer has revealed that his late brother’s "fight every day to be seen" in school has inspired his party's overhaul of SEND to make the system more inclusive. Also covered as a news item by Geraldine Scott, Georgia Lambert and Nicola Woolcock for The Times, and Millie Cooke and Athena Stavrou for The Independent. 

An investigation by The Times has uncovered the stories of 20 young people with SEND whose deaths were attributed to failures by schools, councils and hospitals to give them the support they required. By Max Kendix.

Writing in Schools Week, Cathie Paine, CEO of REAch2 Academy Trust, says the government's SEND reforms are not about withdrawing support from children, but rather changing the way that support is offered. "There is clearly a lot of detail still to digest but I’m yet to speak to anyone who wouldn’t really welcome a system with better support at a lower cost. That’s the change we need to get behind," she concludes.

iNews provides a summary of everything schools and parents need to know about the reforms, which includes reassessment of EHCPs and the new four-tiered system for pupils in mainstream schools. By Connie Dimsdale and Alexa Phillips.

In the latest episode of SEND in the Spotlight, a weekly podcast from the team behind BBC's Woman's Hour, host Nuala McGovern talks to politicians, parents and campaigners who share their views on the government's planned SEND reforms. 

In a letter to The Times, Richard Cairns, principal of Brighton College, reflects on the success of the London Academy of Excellence (LAE), which he co-founded in 2012. He says attempts to copy the model elsewhere have been blocked by Labour. Urging political parties to "put children first", he concludes: "We would love to see an Academy of Excellence in every part of the country, not least in those areas of greatest educational disadvantage, disproportionately home to white working-class children. We stand ready to help."

On a separate issue, former headmaster Dr Millan Sachania highlights the importance of long summer holidays that give young people "the time and space to grow in ways that formal schooling cannot always provide". He adds: "The question is not whether to shorten the holiday but how to help families make better use of it."

The letters appear at the end of the page.

Writing in Tes, Andy Bayfield, assistant principal at St Mary’s International School in Tokyo, explains how the art of questioning can make the difference between a good lesson and a great one. "Questioning, then, is at the very heart of great teaching, offering teachers live feedback about where students are in their learning and, when done skilfully, it allows teachers to take the pulse of a whole class of students," he says.

The Sunday Times talks to staff from some of Scotland’s independent schools about how they have been responding to the issue of mathematics anxiety. Across the sector, leaders describe a shift towards strategies that build self-assurance alongside competence, reframing the subject as both accessible and aspirational while strengthening support in senior years. Timothy Bayley, chief executive of the Glenalmond Group UK and warden of Glenalmond College, tells the paper: "Our starting point has been simple: ensure every pupil feels capable, supported and challenged at the right level. To do this, we have expanded our bespoke support frameworks, including small-group reinforcement ­sessions, targeted clinics in the evenings, and individual mentoring for pupils ­aiming for the highest grades." Russell Hall, head of mathematics at Dollar Academy, adds: "Encouragement lies at the heart of all that we do. We aim to help all pupils see that with positivity, practice, patience and perseverance they will make progress and achieve success." The comments are echoed by head of St George’s School, Edinburgh, Carol Chandler-Thompson, who says her pupils are "taught to see mathematics as a creative, problem-solving discipline rather than simply a test of speed or accuracy". By Malcolm Jack.

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