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SEND Strategy

New SEND Strategy: Right Support, Right Place, Right Time

Cheshire East has launched a new Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) strategy to ensure every child gets the support they need, when and where they need it.

The SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Strategy 2025–2028 was developed by the Cheshire East 0–25 SEND Partnership, which includes the council, NHS, schools, health providers, and the Parent Carer Forum. It sets out a clear vision to help children and young people with SEND thrive.

The updated strategy brings together key priorities into a single, unified plan. It aligns with the council’s wider transformation programme and addresses and aligns with critical areas such as: 

  • Managing increasing financial pressures on the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) 
  • Making developments in line with findings from feedback, inspections and the SEND self-evaluation (SEF)
  • National improvement work 

At the heart of the strategy is a shared commitment to helping children and young people with SEND to be HAPI: 

  • H - Happy and Healthy 
  • A - Achieving their potential
  • P - Part of their communities 
  • I - Independent as possible, making choices about their future

Councillor Laura CraneCouncillor Laura Crane, chair of Cheshire East Council’s children and families committee, said: “We’re committed to ensuring every child in Cheshire East has the best possible start in life, which means our plans must fully include the SEND community. Together we will make Cheshire East a great place to be young. 

“Our updated SEND strategy sets out our priorities and has been shaped through close collaboration with local partners and families, whose input has been invaluable. 

“Earlier this year we conducted a survey with our children and young people with SEND and their parents/carers, as well as with staff within our educational settings and wider partnership. We are confident we now have a clearer picture on what improvements need to be made and what is already working well.” 

The SEND and Alternative Provision (AP) Strategy 2025–2028 (PDF, 2MB) was approved on 9 June 2025.