Every Child Achieving and Thriving: A rapid summary for trust leaders

What this White Paper is – and what it is not

This White Paper is:

• A ten-year reform vision presented to Parliament in February 2026

• A cross-system programme spanning early years through post-16

• Explicitly designed to align standards and inclusion, described as “two sides of the same coin”

It is not:

• A single funding announcement or budget settlement

• A fully legislated reform package at this stage

• An immediate change to accountability measures – several proposals are subject to consultation

Implementation is described as phased:

• Aligning to best practice from 2025/26

• Preparing for SEND and curriculum reforms from 2026/27

• Full implementation from 2028/29

For trusts, that sequencing matters as much as the ambition.

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The big shifts trust leaders will want to track

1. From “narrow to broad” – curriculum and accountability recalibration

What the White Paper says

The curriculum will be refreshed to be “knowledge-rich and broad, inclusive and innovative” (p.12). Programmes of study will be updated for first teaching from 2028, with GCSE changes from 2029 (p.27).

The government will consult on an improved Progress 8 model. English and maths remain central, with two science slots retained, but greater breadth is required across languages, humanities and creative subjects (p.35, “Recognising breadth in our accountability system”).

Why it matters for trusts

Accountability signals shape curriculum architecture. A revised Progress 8 measure could influence option structures, staffing models and subject investment decisions.

Possible implication: trusts may need to review curriculum design assumptions once consultation outcomes are confirmed, particularly where EBacc-driven models have shaped KS4 pathways.

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2. A redesigned approach to disadvantage funding

What the White Paper says

The current system “does not enable disadvantage funding to schools to reflect different lengths and depths of disadvantage” (p.44).

The government will “develop and test a new model for targeting disadvantage funding” (p.44), potentially using income data rather than binary FSM eligibility, and taking duration of disadvantage into account (p.45). Consultation is expected in Summer 2026 (p.45).

Why it matters for trusts

This could represent a material redistribution of funding over time.

Possible implication: trusts serving communities with entrenched and long-term disadvantage may see relative gains. Trusts with more transient deprivation profiles may need to model potential shifts.

The White Paper also signals stronger scrutiny of pupil premium strategy and evidence use (p.45–46), which may increase governance focus on disadvantage planning.

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3. SEND reform – towards “one education system”

What the White Paper says

The document proposes moving towards “one education system for all children and young people, including those with SEND” (p.49).

Key commitments include:

• A new Inclusive Mainstream Fund worth £1.6 billion over three years (p.55).

• £1.8 billion for an Experts at Hand service to increase access to educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and specialist outreach (p.54).

• Mandatory digital Individual Support Plans for children with identified SEND (p.53).

• National Inclusion Standards and new Specialist Provision Packages underpinning EHCPs (p.50).

EHCP numbers are expected to increase in the short term before stabilising by 2035 (p.58).

Why it matters for trusts

This is structural reform rather than incremental change.

Trust boards will need to understand:

• How inclusion funding flows directly to mainstream settings.

• How SEND responsibilities operate at trust and local grouping level (p.56).

• The implications of stronger expectations for adaptive teaching and inclusive practice.

Possible implication: inclusion becomes a central strategic pillar for trusts, not solely an operational function.

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4. Attendance and belonging as system outcomes

What the White Paper says

Attendance is positioned as a national priority. The target is to raise attendance by 1.3 percentage points to over 94% by 2028/29 – equivalent to 20 million additional days in school each year (p.11).

By 2029, every school is expected to monitor pupils’ “sense of belonging and engagement” (p.11). A new pupil engagement framework is proposed (p.13).

Why it matters for trusts

Attendance is reframed as a shared system outcome linked to engagement, belonging and multi-agency working.

Possible implication: trust-level data frameworks may expand to incorporate belonging indicators alongside attendance and attainment metrics.

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5. Trust consolidation and local accountability

What the White Paper says

The government states it is “moving to all schools being part of school trusts” (p.15).

It also commits to “proportionate, independent inspection of trust quality” (p.15) and to creating “a new model of local partnership and shared accountability for children’s outcomes” (p.22).

Why it matters for trusts

The direction of travel is clear – trusts are the primary delivery architecture for reform.

Possible implication: governance expectations at trust level may intensify, particularly in relation to inclusion, collaboration and community partnership.

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6. Workforce capacity and leadership development

What the White Paper says

Commitments include:

• 6,500 additional expert teachers (p.11; p.14).

• A new Teacher Training Entitlement (p.14).

• Over £200 million for SEND CPD (p.15).

• A mentoring and coaching offer for headteachers (p.15).

Why it matters for trusts

Reform expectations are paired with investment in workforce capability.

Possible implication: trusts with established professional development models may be well placed to integrate new entitlements. Workforce planning remains critical, particularly in areas of specialist SEND expertise.

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7. Pupil engagement will be formally monitored

What the White Paper says

A new national pupil engagement framework will be introduced later this year (p.62).

By 2029, the Department for Education expects every school to monitor pupils’ sense of belonging and engagement.

This signals a shift. Engagement is no longer positioned as a purely cultural priority, but as something that carries national expectation.

Why it matters for trusts

Trusts will need to show how they understand and monitor pupil engagement across their schools, not just attendance or behaviour data, but pupils’ sense of belonging and connection.

That raises important questions at trust level:

• Is engagement being measured consistently across schools?

• Can leaders see patterns and trends across phases or contexts?

• Is pupil voice feeding directly into improvement planning?

As the framework develops, trusts that already gather structured, comparable pupil feedback will be better placed to respond confidently.

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8. Parent engagement is being strengthened

What the White Paper says

The White Paper strengthens expectations around home-school partnerships.

It introduces minimum expectations for how schools work with parents (p.14) and emphasises the role parents play in supporting children’s learning (p.5).

There is no standalone parent engagement framework or confirmed rollout timeline. However, the direction of travel is clear. Parent partnership is being treated as a core component of school quality and improvement.

Why it matters for trusts

For trusts, this increases the need to evidence how effectively they listen to and work with parents, particularly at trust wide level.

Strong relationships with parents have always mattered. What may change is the expectation that those relationships are systematic, consistent and visible across every school in the trust.

Trust leaders may need to demonstrate:

• How parent feedback is gathered and acted upon

• Whether experience is consistent across schools

• How parent insight informs trust strategy
  

As accountability frameworks evolve, trusts are likely to need clearer evidence that parent voice is embedded in their improvement model.

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What we do not know yet

Clarity between confirmed policy and consultation is important.

Confirmed commitments

• Curriculum refresh from 2028 (p.27).

• Inclusive Mainstream Fund of £1.6 billion over three years (p.55).

• Experts at Hand funding of £1.8 billion (p.13).

• Attendance ambition to exceed 94% (p.11).

• Phased implementation from 2025/2026 to 2028/29 (p.16).

Consultation areas

• Revised Progress 8 model (p.35).

• New disadvantage funding model (p.45).

• School Admissions Code changes (p.47).

• Detailed SEND reform mechanisms (p.47–58).

Direction of travel without full delivery detail

• Universal trust membership (p.16).

• Pooled SEND funding across school groupings (p.56).

• The operational model for new local accountability partnerships (p.21).

In these areas, ambition is clear but mechanics remain to be defined.

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A steady conclusion

Every Child Achieving and Thriving sets out a high level of ambition – halving the disadvantage gap, raising GCSE attainment, embedding mainstream inclusion, broadening curriculum entitlement and strengthening collaboration through trusts and local partnerships.

For trust leaders, the next two years are likely to be defined less by single headline announcements and more by cumulative change across multiple domains.

Sequencing will matter. So will governance clarity. Standards and inclusion are positioned as mutually reinforcing rather than competing priorities.

The White Paper places trusts firmly at the centre of delivery. The detail will continue to evolve through consultation and legislation, but the strategic direction is now set.