Crucial council plans detailing SEND services reform could be submitted to government without public scrutiny, with school leaders warning of a “lack of meaningful engagement”.

Town halls have been given just over three months to submit a “local SEND reform plan”, which ministers will approve to unlock money to write off 90 per cent of high needs deficits.

The documents are also a vehicle for the government’s SEND reforms and will include key details such as how areas will deliver the £1.8 billion experts at hand programme.