Ofsted is considering creating a national team of senior inspectors to lead on its area SEND inspections as part of plans to ensure it strengthens its expertise.
It is also considering moving to a report-card system for these inspections when its current cycle ends in December 2027.
The watchdog has today published a review into the SEND area inspections it carries out with the Care Quality Commission (CQC), and a report on the inspection findings to date.
Ofsted SEND inspections
This report highlights problems with Education Health and Care plans (EHCPs), a lack of strategic oversight, and gaps in provision as being key issues in areas of the country with weaknesses in SEND.
The inspections visit council areas to assess the education, health and care provision for children and young people with SEND.
The new report setting out inspection findings shows that just over one in four local areas visited under the SEND area framework has been found to have “widespread and/or systemic failings” that need addressing urgently - the lowest of three possible ratings.
EHCP provision
Since the current framework launched two years ago, 54 local areas have been inspected and 14 have been given the lowest rating (26 per cent).
Additionally, Ofsted and the CQC found that local-area SEND arrangements “lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND” in 26 areas (48 per cent). Another 14 areas, meanwhile, were given the highest rating, which deems that arrangements “typically lead to positive experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND”.
In the review of its inspections, Ofsted said: “Many people told us that area SEND inspection teams should have a comprehensive understanding of SEND across the education, health and social care sectors.”
Ofsted exploring having a national SEND team
Ofsted has said it is “committed to strengthening the expertise of our workforce by continuing to recruit Ofsted Inspectors and HMIs [His Majesty’s Inspectors] with SEND experience from the sector”.
The review added: “We will also explore having a team of education HMIs operate on a national basis for area SEND inspections, rather than only inspecting local areas within a specific region.”
And it said it would be updating and increasing the frequency of inspectors’ training.
Ofsted inspectors
Other planned improvements include ensuring that inspectors have sufficient time on inspections, and providing more opportunities for young people and their families to engage with inspectors during full inspections.
The review said that Ofsted and the CQC will also consider the introduction of an inspection report card after the first cycle of inspections ends in December 2027.
SEND failings identified
In the report published today outlining SEND area inspection findings, Ofsted and the CQC set out issues that commonly arise in areas found to have widespread or systemic failings.
The need to improve strategic governance and oversight was an area for improvement in 55 per cent of inspections, and an area for priority action in 86 per cent of local areas that received the outcome “widespread and/or systemic failings”.
The report added: “We typically found that leaders had been too slow to respond to a rising number of children and young people with SEND and increasing complexity of their education, health and social care needs. This led to children and young people with SEND not having their needs met as well as they should.”
The timeliness and/or quality of EHC plans was identified as an area for improvement in 69 per cent of inspections, and an area for priority action in 71 per cent of local areas that received the outcome “widespread and/or systemic failings”.
And problems with commissioning arrangements across local area partnerships were identified as an area for improvement in 28 per cent of inspections, and an area for priority action in 43 per cent of local areas given the lowest rating.
The report added: “In these areas, leaders often did not accurately assess or meet the needs of children and young people in the area when commissioning services, and this led to gaps in provision.”
Areas given the lowest rating in SEND area inspections face a monitoring visit 18 months after their initial inspection.
There were concerns raised last year after these monitoring visits were put on hold while Ofsted and the CQC reviewed their SEND area inspections. The report published today confirmed that these monitoring visits are resuming this term.
