Preparing for an Ofsted inspection is not about producing extra paperwork; it is about demonstrating how the school’s everyday systems, culture and decisions improve pupils’ experiences and outcomes. The Ofsted Schools Inspection Toolkit makes this explicit, stating that inspectors focus on the “impact of the systems and processes that leaders use to support the continuous improvement and effective running of the school” (Ofsted, 2025a). A high‑quality SEND review is one of the most effective ways to evidence that impact. It brings clarity, challenge and coherence to a school’s SEND practice and prepares leaders confidently for inspection. Crucially, it also ensures that pupils with SEND receive the ambitious and inclusive provision they deserve.
Every school develops routines and assumptions about its SEND provision. These may once have been useful but can become barriers to improvement. An SEND review challenges these norms and tests whether current practice aligns with the expectations of the Ofsted toolkit. For example, the toolkit highlights the importance of “embedding a culture in which early and accurate assessment of pupils’ needs is prioritised” (Ofsted, 2025a). A review examines whether identification is accurate, timely and linked properly to adaptations in classrooms. This aligns directly with the SEND Code of Practice’s requirement for the graduated approach, which calls for SEND support to follow a cyclical assess–plan–do–review process in which earlier decisions are “revisited, refined and revised” to improve outcomes (Department for Education, 2015).
Ofsted does not want compliance for its own sake; it wants evidence that practice is coherent, effective and child-centred. The toolkit reiterates that inspectors will “collect first-hand evidence … mainly through professional conversations and observing … the day‑to‑day work of the school” (Ofsted, 2025a). A SEND review mirrors this approach by analysing what is happening in real classrooms, in real interactions and in real processes; not in theoretical policy documents. It also prepares leaders for inspector questioning by ensuring that curriculum decisions, adaptations and support plans can be clearly articulated. This aligns with the School Inspection Operating Guide, which emphasises that leadership, inclusion and safeguarding are key focus areas when gathering inspection evidence (Ofsted, 2025b).
Backdrop Leadership Group SEND reviews begin by understanding your unique context. Leaders often know where strengths and gaps may lie, and a review validates this knowledge through structured, evidence‑based analysis. This mirrors Ofsted’s method in one way, in which inspectors build a “clear and typical picture of all aspects of the school’s work” through discussions, visits and analysis (Ofsted, 2025a). Feedback from Ofsted’s pilot inspections reinforces this. Leaders reported valuing the collaborative tone, learning walks and reflective conversations used by inspectors, describing them as fair and inclusive (Ofsted, 2025d). A SEND review prepares staff for exactly this type of professional dialogue.
In every school there are hierarchies, loyalties and blind spots. An external reviewer can ask challenging questions and present objective insights that internal staff may find difficult to raise. This helps leaders refine their SEND narrative, ensuring it aligns with the Ofsted focus on effective identification and support.
The toolkit describes inclusion as the process by which schools “identify and support … pupils with SEND” and stresses the importance of “setting high expectations for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils [and] those with SEND” (Ofsted, 2025a).
A review examines:
Inclusion is not confined to one section of the inspection. The operating guide makes clear that inspectors use the toolkit to “celebrate the school’s strengths, validate leaders’ priorities and progress and highlight where improvement is needed” (Ofsted, 2025b). A review tests whether inclusion is visible across your website, curriculum, behaviour systems, staff training and daily routines. It also looks at how leaders work with families — something highlighted throughout Ofsted’s supporting evidence base for the renewed framework (Ofsted, 2025c). This ensures that the “golden thread” of inclusion is woven across policy, practice and culture.
Ofsted makes it clear that the toolkit “can also be used by leaders to support self‑evaluation and continuous improvement” (Ofsted, 2025a). An SEND review supports this ongoing process by:
This iterative model reflects the assess–plan–do–review cycle required by the SEND Code of Practice (Department for Education, 2015). It also aligns with Ofsted’s own direction of travel, as indicated in pilot feedback that highlighted more collaborative, reflective inspections (Ofsted, 2025d).
Ultimately, the purpose of an SEND review is not to “prepare for Ofsted”. It is to ensure that pupils with SEND receive the best possible education. However, outstanding practice naturally leads to inspection readiness.
A review helps schools:
All of this aligns with Ofsted’s expectation that inspectors evaluate provision through first‑hand evidence, professional dialogue and real impact on pupils’ development and achievement (Ofsted, 2025a).
Department for Education (2015) Special educational needs and disability code of practice: 0 to 25 years. London: Department for Education.
Ofsted (2025a) State‑funded school inspection toolkit: for use from November 2025. London: Ofsted.
Ofsted (2025b) School inspection operating guide for inspectors: for use from November 2025. London: Ofsted.
Ofsted (2025c) Renewed education inspection framework: supporting evidence base. London: Ofsted.
Ofsted (2025d) Our renewed inspection framework: what we’ve learned from pilots. Ofsted: Education Blog, 5 November.