Councillor Cresswell (Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Apprenticeships) presented the report and highlighted the following key points: 

a)    The Ofsted and CQC monitoring inspection letter had been published on the Council’s website on 05 February 2026.

b)    The monitoring inspection, carried out in December 2025, was a significant moment for Plymouth as it assessed whether effective action had been taken in relation to the five priority areas identified in the 2023 Area SEND Inspection. Inspectors concluded that Plymouth had taken effective action in all priority areas.  

c)    The positive outcome reflected the outstanding work of teams across education, health, social care, schools, partners, children, young people and families. It was noted feedback from the lead inspector, said ‘Your children and young people shone’. This comment was described as uplifting and a source of pride;

d)    Inspectors recognised a marked cultural shift since the previous inspection, including: 

                    i.  stronger leadership; 

                   ii.  clearer governance; 

                  iii.  improved early identification; 

                  iv.  significantly reduced exclusions; 

                   v.  better multi?agency working for children with the most complex needs; 

                  vi.  improved support for families awaiting assessments; and 

                 vii.  strengthened oversight of vulnerable children.  

e)    Partnership working was highlighted as central to the improvement journey. Inspectors praised the SEND Improvement Board for achieving strong buy?in from senior leaders across political parties, which was described as important and commendable;

f)     While the findings were very positive, the report made clear that further work was required. Waiting times for neurodevelopmental assessments and speech and language therapy remained too long, and not all families felt the benefits of improvements or clarity around available support;

g)    The next phase of improvement would include embedding consistency across schools and services, strengthening communication with families, reducing waiting times and ensuring that improvements were sustained and resilient;  

h)    The publication demonstrated real progress but also set out the ongoing improvement journey required to ensure children and young people with SEND remained at the heart of all decision?making across the system.

David Haley (Director of Children’s Services) addressed the Cabinet and: 

i)     Stated that the progress recognised by Ofsted and CQC was heartening and represented a significant achievement for the entire local area SEND partnership. It was noted that achieving effective action in all five priority areas was substantial progress.  

j)     Confirmed that inspectors recognised further areas for continued improvement, particularly sustaining cultural change and keeping children and young people at the centre of all work;

k)    Reported that a full re?inspection would take place within 12–18 months. Current governance arrangements would remain in place to ensure continued oversight, pace and assurance of improvement.

The Leader commented and: 

l)     Highlighted that the work to deliver SEND improvement was substantial and system?wide, reflected in the fact that meetings were normally full with officers and partners. It was emphasised that the importance of strong managerial and political leadership working together was essential;  

m)  Recalled that previous inspections had not always reflected the progress being made, and expressed relief that progress had been formally recognised. He stressed the importance of staying on the right road as changes to national SEND policy were expected imminently;

n)    Referenced discussions with national leaders, including Georgia Gould MP, regarding the SEND White Paper, and anticipated significant reforms. He stated his ambition for Plymouth was to get ahead of the reforms, not wait for them;

o)    Announced his intention to bring forward to the next Cabinet meeting firm proposals for a new SEND school in Plymouth, including a suggested location. He stated that while mainstream inclusion would remain essential, the city must also expand specialist provision due to increasing demand. He confirmed financial provision was available and ambition should match need.  

Councillor Cresswell added that: 

p)    The White Paper was expected to emphasise both mainstream inclusion and the necessity of specialist settings for children with high?level needs. She stressed that Plymouth must provide both effective mainstream inclusion and sufficient specialist places.  

q)    She welcomed the Leader’s proposal for a new SEND school and highlighted the city’s innovative work on inclusion, belonging strategy and targeted approaches that had already been acknowledged by inspectors.  

Councillor Aspinall (Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care added:

r)    Members referred to the importance of transition planning and ongoing discussions with officers to support families at key educational transition points.  

Cabinet agreed to: 

1. Note the Local Area SEND Inspection Report and the significant progress recognised by Ofsted and CQC;

2. Receive at the next Cabinet meeting firm proposals for a new SEND school in Plymouth, including a recommended location and delivery approach.