Organisation

OFSTED

32 stories · discussed at 17 council meetings · 21 councils

Councils are responding to Ofsted inspection findings on children's and SEND services, while also developing new children's homes.

Sutton's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) services were identified as an Area for Priority Action in September 2026 following a joint Ofsted and Care Quality Commission inspection. This highlighted systemic failures in dysphagia pathways. In October 2026, Hillingdon Council approved plans for a new children's care home. Wandsworth's children's services achieved an 'outstanding' Ofsted rating in September 2026, while Lambeth and Southwark maintained 'good' ratings in September and July 2026 respectively.

Newham Council approved plans to open two new children's homes in September 2026 to provide specialist care. Hackney's services for care leavers were praised by Ofsted in July 2026, noting strengthened services since 2024. Harrow Council revamped its care leaver offer in July 2026, informed by Ofsted findings from January 2026 that identified significant shortcomings. Hammersmith and Fulham's SEND services received the highest possible rating in June 2026.

No upcoming meetings are listed in the provided material. Ofsted, the Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills, is a non-ministerial department of the UK government responsible for inspecting education and care services in England.

Key facts

  1. Hillingdon Council's Planning Committee approved plans for a new care home for up to four children on 14 October 2026. Source
  2. Sutton's SEND services were identified as an Area for Priority Action by Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission in September 2026. Source
  3. Wandsworth's children's services were rated 'outstanding' by Ofsted in September 2026. Source
  4. Newham Council approved plans to open two new children's homes on 22 September 2026. Source
  5. Lambeth's Children's Services was rated 'Good' by Ofsted following an inspection in January 2026. Source
About this summary

This summary was written automatically from our published stories and the council meeting records they draw on, with background from Wikipedia. It describes what councils have discussed and decided; it does not take a view on any decision. Each key fact links to the story it comes from. Updated 16 October 2026. Spotted a mistake? Email community@opencouncil.network.

Stories, page 3

  1. Redbridge Council addresses Ofsted findings with comprehensive SEND improvement plan Redbridge Council is implementing a comprehensive SEND improvement plan in response to findings from a recent Ofsted report. Councillor Dudridge, Cabinet Member for Children and... Redbridge 18 March 2026
  2. Childcare provision sufficient in Greenwich Greenwich Childcare Provision Deemed Sufficient Greenwich 15 March 2026
  3. Barnet tackles attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils, particularly Black Caribbean students Barnet Council is implementing a multi-faceted strategy to address the persistent attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils, particularly focusing on Black Caribbean and mixed... Barnet 14 March 2026
  4. Harrow improves care leaver support Harrow Council is overhauling its support for care leavers following an Ofsted inspection that identified significant shortcomings, leading to an overall 'inadequate' judgment... Harrow 18 January 2026
  5. Sutton College earns 'Good' rating from Ofsted Sutton College has received a 'Good' rating from Ofsted, marking a significant achievement for the institution, which had previously been rated as 'Requires Improvement' in... Sutton 10 December 2025
  6. Ofsted Finds 'Systematic Failures' in Redbridge SEND Partnership, Prompting Action Plan Ofsted has found 'widespread and/or systematic failures' in Redbridge's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) partnership, requiring a Priority Action Plan to... Redbridge 26 November 2025
  7. Redbridge SEND Action Plan Approved After Stakeholder Input Redbridge's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Partnership has a new action plan after a critical inspection earlier this year revealed widespread and/or... Redbridge 26 November 2025
  8. Bromley Schools Exceed National Average in Religious Education Bromley schools are outperforming the national average in Religious Education (RE), according to the Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE). The council... Bromley 7 November 2025