SEND Inspection

B&NES local authority is anticipating a Local Area SEND (Special Educational Needs & Disabilities) Inspection very soon. They have shared the following guidance for parents and carers with us to help explain the process and allay any concerns.

What happens during an area SEND inspection.

  • Local area partnerships are made up of those in education, health and care who are responsible for planning, commissioning, managing, delivering and evaluating support for children and young people with SEND who live in the B&NES local area
  • During the inspection, inspectors will gather evidence about how effective provision is for children and young people with SEND in the B&NES local area.
  • They will also evaluate how the local partnership work together to provide support and outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
  • The inspection is conducted jointly by Ofsted & CQC over a period of 3 weeks.
  • Over the 3 weeks the inspectors will visit and set up meeting with the B&NES local partnerships looking at their joint arrangements and outcome in Education, Health and Social Care.
  • After the inspection, the inspectors will write a report evaluating the impact of the local area partnership’s arrangements on the of children and young people with SEND in the local area
  • The report will include an inspection outcome. It will say what the area partnership is doing well and what it needs to improve.

Your views are important. There are several ways you can be involved in the inspection.

  • Surveys – this will be sent to all involved in working with children and families, it will ask you about any support your child gets for their education, health and care needs and their social life, and to prepare them for the next stage of their life.
  • Case Tracking – Inspectors will select approximately 6 children and young people and with consent from them and their families will hold tracking meetings to hear directly about their experiences and outcomes along with any involved practitioners in the local area partnerships such as teachers or therapists.

More information can be found on the following links:

Local Area SEND Inspection information for parents and carers

Area SEND inspection explained – information for parents and carers video

SEND Local Area inspection framework and handbook

Please contact us via  with any questions or queries.

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