Ofsted inspection of SEND services in Buckinghamshire

The inspection reviewed the Buckinghamshire Local Area Partnership, which includes Buckinghamshire Council and the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board (BOB ICB) and well as other partners in education, health and care services. 

The inspection team spent three weeks in November 2025 carrying out the Area SEND Inspection which focuses on how local partners across the council, health and social care sector work together to improve the experiences and outcomes of children and young people with SEND.   

The report outcome indicates that the Buckinghamshire Local Area Partnership arrangements lead to inconsistent experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND. This equates to a level two judgement on a three-level scale. The local area partnership must work jointly to make improvements.  

We know that many families in Buckinghamshire continue to face significant pressures navigating the SEND system, and we remain fully committed to improving services and outcomes so children and young people get the support they need to thrive.  

The service was last inspected in 2022 and the inspection team recognised a range of areas where meaningful progress has been achieved. These include: 

• Stronger leadership and governance
• Higher quality EHC plans 
• Good support for disabled children 
• Improvements to early years services 
• Better accessibility and consistency in therapy services 
• Well-coordinated wraparound support for children and young people with complex needs 
• Improved joint working to support young people to prepare for adulthood 

Overall, inspectors concluded that the partnership’s strategic priorities are the right ones and the transformation work already underway is moving the system in the right direction, but improvement needs to take place with greater pace and consistency, alongside improved communication and more robust quality assurance.  

Carl Jackson, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services, said: “We welcome Ofsted's clear and constructive insights on the SEND services we provide to children and young people across the county. The inspection acknowledges the genuine progress being made across the partnership and confirms our existing SEND Improvement Programme has the right priorities and is heading in the right direction. 

“However, we know there is more work to do to improve the quality and consistency of the service we provide to children, young people and their families in Buckinghamshire. Every child in Buckinghamshire deserves access to the support and services they need to thrive, and we are determined to make that happen.” 

Carl added: “As with most local authorities across the country, Buckinghamshire Council's SEND services face growing demand. With the government having repeatedly missed its own deadlines to introduce promised SEND reforms, Buckinghamshire Council has stepped up and invested an extra £3m to cut waiting times for EHCPs. We will continue to make improvements to support the children and young people in Buckinghamshire who rely on this support.”

Sarah Bellars, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West Integrated Care Board’s Chief Nursing Medical Officer, said: “We are pleased to see that progress has been made with the SEND service for children, young people and their families in Buckinghamshire since the last inspection in 2022.  However, as health and care partners, we’re fully committed to improving this service.  

“Without doubt there is still a way to go, but by working together with families we are starting to make a difference to the way children and young people get the support they deserve to help them thrive.” 

Following on from the publication of the report an action plan is being developed to address the points raised.  

You can view the full Ofsted inspection report online.

The inspection acknowledges genuine progress across the partnership and validates the direction of travel of our existing SEND Improvement Programme. It also provides a clear mandate to accelerate and deepen improvements so that children, young people and families experience consistent, high-quality support at every stage quality support at every stage.