The Every Child Achieving and Thriving White Paper, published in February 2026, sets out the government’s plan to require digital Individual Support Plans (ISPs) for children and young people with identified SEND in England.

The requirement isn’t in force yet, and some of the detail still depends on legislation and further guidance. Schools are expected to prepare for the SEND reforms during 2026-27 and 2027-28, with wider implementation planned from 2028-29.

For most schools, the conversation so far has focused on the SENCO and the local authority: how needs are identified, how plans are written and how provision is reviewed.

The ICT side of this has had far less attention, but it matters just as much. A digital ISP will need secure systems, clear access controls and proper data protection arrangements. Schools may also need to review the accessible devices and assistive technology used to deliver the support recorded in these plans.

This article looks at what schools can sensibly start checking now, before the final technical requirements arrive.

What a digital ISP needs from ICT

The White Paper’s ambition is for ISPs to be interactive, digital and accessible, and to become integrated with wider services over time. In practice, that is likely to mean a live, structured record that authorised staff can update, that supports appropriate information-sharing and that communicates the plan clearly to parents.

If that stays the shape of the final requirement, schools will need a system capable of handling digital ISPs properly, rather than a workaround built around existing document storage. It will also mean clear data access permissions, so the right staff can view and update a plan and others can’t, which needs to be actively managed, not assumed. The White Paper also mentions a wider “data spine” to connect information across education systems, but it’s still in early development and its scope for SEND data hasn’t been confirmed, so it’s one to watch rather than plan around yet. Parents will need information to be presented securely in an accessible, usable format. Whether the final model will require direct parent access through a portal hasn’t yet been confirmed.

There’s a data protection angle that doesn’t depend on the final detail of the reforms. A digital ISP is likely to hold sensitive personal data about a child’s needs, health and progress, so UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018 apply, and some of that information may be special category data.

A Data Protection Impact Assessment is also likely to be needed before any system goes live. Schools should involve their DPO early, assess the proposed processing against the ICO’s high-risk criteria and record the decision. It’s easier to do that in advance than to sort it out once a platform is already running.

Device and accessibility requirements

This sits alongside the digital ISP work rather than being created by it, but it’s one of the most useful areas for schools to review now.

Not every pupil with SEND can use a standard device. An ISP that specifies AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) for a non-verbal pupil, switch access for a pupil with a physical disability, or eye-gaze technology for a pupil with complex physical needs, calls for hardware that may not be part of the school’s standard device fleet. This isn’t a new problem: schools already write this kind of provision into support plans and EHCPs. It’s one the White Paper is likely to make more visible.

It’s worth checking current and anticipated ISP content against what the school already has in a few areas:

• AAC devices for non-verbal or pre-verbal pupils
• Screen reader and magnification software, and whether it works with the school’s standard devices and MIS
• Switch access peripherals, and whether they’re compatible with current device operating systems
• Eye-gaze hardware, which usually needs specific mounting and software support
• Voice control, and whether it works within MDM-managed device configurations, which can otherwise block it

For every current or anticipated support plan that specifies assistive technology, the question is simple: is that technology already in the school’s inventory, and if not, what’s the plan to get it there?

Where the Inclusive Mainstream Fund fits in

The Inclusive Mainstream Fund (IMF) is already running, separately from the digital ISP proposals. For 2026-27 it’s worth over £500 million across education settings, with £400 million allocated to mainstream schools. It isn’t something schools apply for. The funding is provided as a separate grant: maintained schools receive it through their local authority, while academy trusts are paid directly. The DfE’s methodology was updated on 1 July 2026.

Schools decide how to spend their allocation based on their own pupils’ needs, alongside core budget and notional SEN funding. The guidance points towards inclusive environments, adaptive teaching, accessibility and meeting sensory and regulatory needs. Accessible technology can reasonably sit within that, but the guidance doesn’t name ICT as its own spending category, so schools need to build their own case for how device or software spend supports their inclusion strategy, rather than assume it’s automatically covered.

One firm date worth knowing: schools must publish an inclusion strategy statement by 31 December 2026, setting out their approach to identifying and meeting common barriers to learning. If assistive technology is part of that plan, this is the natural place to set it out and link the spend to outcomes.

As with any public spend, normal procurement rules and value-for-money expectations apply. Schools should assess accessible technology against clear criteria including suitability for pupils’ needs, accessibility, compatibility, support, whole-life cost and value for money.

Practical next steps for SLT

Digital ISPs are a clear policy direction, even if the final legislation is still to come, and schools that start preparing now will spend far less time and money catching up later.

1. Audit current SEND device provision against existing support plans and EHCP technology recommendations, and identify the gaps.
2. Review MIS or SEND platform capability. Check whether the current system could support digital ISPs, and if not, whether it’s on the roadmap.
3. Check data governance readiness. Confirm a DPIA framework is in place and the DPO is already involved in early planning.
4. Consider accessible ICT within the inclusion strategy. Where the evidence supports it, link proposed device or software spending to identified needs and intended outcomes. The strategy statement is due by 31 December 2026.
5. Brief governors. The digital ISP proposals carry infrastructure and budget implications they should understand, even while the detail is still being finalised.

Getting ahead of a known commitment

None of this needs to happen overnight, and some of it will need revisiting once the government responds to the SEND consultation. But the direction is clear enough to start on now, and schools that audit devices, review platform capability and involve their DPO early will be in a far better position than those that wait for a deadline.

Once a school knows what accessible devices its SEND provision calls for, procurement is where that plan becomes equipment on desks. Everything ICT gives schools and trusts access to compliant procurement routes and pre-approved suppliers, including those with strong SEND and accessibility credentials, so ICT purchases are sourced properly and represent good value.

Speak to our team about your upcoming SEND device or platform requirements.