Upcoming local area SEND inspection – important information for schools and settings

Posted on 3 September 2026 in News and updates

Dear colleagues,

As you may be aware, Devon is due a full Local Area SEND inspection during the autumn term. This is a joint inspection undertaken by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and focuses on how effectively education, health and care services work together to support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those in Alternative Provision.

As valued partners within Devon’s SEND system, schools and settings play a crucial role in helping inspectors understand the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND and their families.

To support schools and settings in understanding the Local Area SEND inspection process, we have included below a link to a briefing delivered in July by a former SEND inspector. The session provides a helpful overview of the inspection framework, key areas of focus and how schools and settings may be involved during an inspection.

Watch the July briefing for education settings.

A key part of the inspection process is gathering feedback from:

  • Children and young people with SEND
  • Parents and carers
  • Practitioners, including education staff.

Inspectors use this feedback, alongside other inspection evidence, to understand lived experiences across the local area and to inform their lines of enquiry.

How you can help

Once we receive formal notification of the inspection, we will ask all schools, settings and services to:

  • Share the inspection survey links promptly with parents/carers, pupils (where appropriate) and staff.
  • Encourage participation so that as many voices as possible are heard.
  • Use your usual communication channels to promote the surveys and raise awareness of the inspection.

Please note that there will be a short window of approximately six days for survey responses to be submitted, so your support in sharing information quickly will be greatly appreciated.

We will provide further details, including survey links and key information, as soon as we receive notification of the inspection.

Thank you in advance for your support and partnership. By working together, we can ensure that the experiences of children and young people with SEND, their families and the practitioners who support them are accurately represented.

If you have any questions, please contact the SEND Inspection mailbox at: childsc.specialeducationneedsinspectionsupport-mailbox@devon.gov.uk