Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, with reference to the SEND and alternative provision improvement plan, published on 2 March 2023, when updated Ofsted and CQC Area SEND inspections will be delivered in 2023.

Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) joint area special educational needs and disabilities inspections activity, commenced in January 2023 and will continue on a continuous cycle in line with their published framework and handbook.

Ofsted and CQC intend that every local area will receive their first full inspection under the new framework within five years. Some areas might receive a second inspection and/or monitoring visit within that timeframe, depending on their first inspection outcome. The guidance can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/area-send-framework-and-handbook/area-send-inspections-framework-and-handbook.

These inspections will place greater emphasis on the outcomes that are being achieved for children and young people and look more closely at children under five and those aged 16-25 years old. They will also include alternative provision (AP) for the first time. The first inspection reports are expected to be published in spring 2023.

Ofsted and CQC will also undertake a series of thematic visits, with the first set focusing on AP. The outcome is expected to be published in autumn 2023. The guidance for thematic reviews of AP in local areas is available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thematic-reviews-of-alternative-provision-in-local-areas.