Disability and education campaigners have raised the alarm after reports in the national press suggested the government may cut back support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in its long-awaited Schools White Paper, expected early next week.

According to a report in The Times, ministers are considering tougher rules for access to statutory support, including reassessing children’s entitlement when they transfer to secondary school. The article claimed the aim would be to reduce what officials view as overly “rigid” legal duties, which have been linked to rising costs in the SEND system.

The leak also suggested that many pupils with less severe needs – including some children diagnosed with autism or ADHD – could lose eligibility for education, health and care plans (EHCPs). Instead, a tiered approach has been mooted, where children would start with standard support in mainstream schools and only move up to higher levels if necessary. Under the proposals, nationally designed “specialist provision packages” would be used to decide which needs qualify for the top tier.

Groups including Save Our Children’s Rights said stripping legal protections would not solve the crisis, arguing the existing law should be properly enforced instead. The National Autistic Society also criticised the way information was emerging through leaks, warning that repeated reassessments and weaker rights to challenge decisions would be unacceptable. The Department for Education insisted full details would be published shortly, describing the plans as an expansion of children’s rights and a move towards a more inclusive system.