Ofsted’s 2024 Annual Report sends a clear message: the SEND support system needs urgent reform. In this breakdown, Welcare unpacks 9 key lessons—and what they mean for families, schools, and children across the UK.
When Ofsted speaks, the education and social care sectors listen—and this year’s Ofsted Annual Report sent a clear message: the SEND support system in England is stretched, inconsistent, and in urgent need of transformation. But amid the challenges, the report offers direction, insight, and hope for what’s possible when we center children’s needs and deliver joined-up, compassionate care.
At Welcare, we believe no child should be left behind—especially those with special educational needs or disabilities. So we’ve broken down the 2024 report into 9 urgent lessons every family, carer, and professional should know.
1. SEND Support Begins at Birth
Children with SEND don’t begin needing support at school age—it starts at birth. Ofsted’s inspections of early years and social care show that children often interact with services from the very start of life, especially those who are vulnerable or in care. Effective SEND support must begin with strong early years provision, high-quality childcare, and early identification of need.
Yet access to such support remains unequal. Many families in disadvantaged areas live in ‘childcare deserts,’ where early years settings are scarce. These geographical gaps correlate strongly with areas of poverty and deprivation. For families of children with emerging needs, a lack of nearby, inclusive provision can delay crucial assessments, referrals, and early interventions.
Welcare has long recognised the importance of trauma-informed support from birth. Children need secure, emotionally attuned environments before they need academic success. We echo Ofsted’s conclusion that SEND support must be rooted in early years access, equity, and a recognition that the earliest years are foundational.
2. Childcare Inequality Affects SEND Support
Ofsted’s work with the ONS revealed that areas with the least childcare access also tend to have higher poverty levels and fewer family resources. For children with SEND, this disparity is especially harmful.
High-quality early education helps children with SEND build communication, motor, and emotional regulation skills. But the national shortage of qualified early years professionals and SEND-trained key workers continues to undermine that potential. The loss of staff with Level 3 qualifications has been particularly damaging, and there is little evidence that unqualified staff have the training or supervision required to identify and address additional needs.
Welcare advocates for increased investment in early years staff development, with SEND and trauma-informed approaches embedded from the start. Without these, children at risk of developmental delay are missed in the crucial early stages—and families are left without meaningful support.
3. SEND Support Is Impacted by Staffing and Retention Crises
The early years sector—and education as a whole—is struggling with recruitment and retention. Ofsted found that over 1 in 5 early years staff now lack formal qualifications. This lack of consistent, qualified staffing has serious implications for safeguarding and child development.
Children with SEND rely on predictable, stable relationships to thrive. High turnover rates, incomplete inductions, and lack of key person continuity disrupt that progress. This is particularly damaging for children with autism, ADHD, attachment difficulties, or complex trauma—who need relational consistency to build trust.
At Welcare, we invest in our people because we believe relationships are the foundation of recovery and learning. Ofsted’s findings mirror our own: staff stability, ongoing training, and emotional literacy are non-negotiable components of effective SEND support.
4. The Disadvantage Gap Is Widening
The report confirms what many families already know: the disadvantage gap is not only real, it’s growing. Primary schools report more children arriving with delayed communication and social skills—a problem exacerbated by COVID lockdowns but rooted in years of unequal support.
Children with SEND are especially at risk. Delayed identification, overstretched services, and underfunded interventions mean these children face barriers from day one. Schools report rising referrals to speech and language therapy, long waits for Educational Psychology input, and overstretched SENCOs unable to meet demand.
Welcare continues to champion early and equitable access to assessments and interventions. Every missed milestone, delayed referral, or unmet need compounds over time. A fair society ensures early SEND support is not a postcode lottery.
5. Attendance Is a Crisis—and SEND Learners Are Most Affected
Persistent absence is now a national emergency. More than 158,000 children missed over half their school sessions last year. Children in need and those receiving free school meals are the most affected—and among them, those with SEND are at even greater risk.
Without consistent classroom access, the best teachers and interventions can’t make a difference. Ofsted’s data shows that SEND support must include solutions to chronic absence—through inclusive school cultures, better family engagement, and targeted pastoral care.
Mental health needs, unmet sensory support, bullying, or anxiety can all drive school avoidance. Punitive responses only reinforce disengagement. Welcare advocates for emotionally responsive attendance strategies, including restorative conversations, therapeutic provision, and multi-agency support.
6. SEND Needs Are Being Pushed Into Alternative Provision
The report reveals a troubling trend: too often, children with SEND are placed in alternative provision (AP) not because it’s best for them, but because there’s nowhere else to go.
Almost 1 in 4 children in AP placements arranged by schools have an EHCP. AP can be effective when used as a short-term, tailored intervention—but not as a default. Overreliance on AP signals a failure in the mainstream SEND support system, and risks long-term exclusion and underachievement.
Welcare works to reintegrate young people into inclusive settings, where possible, through gradual re-engagement, therapeutic support, and flexible pathways. True inclusion means having a spectrum of provision—but not using that spectrum to marginalise.
7. Illegal and Unregulated Schools Endanger SEND Learners
Ofsted raised continued alarm over illegal schools and unregulated provision—many of which serve children with complex needs, including SEND. These settings often operate outside of safeguarding standards and provide poor-quality education in unsafe environments.
Children with SEND deserve protection, oversight, and quality education. Welcare supports Ofsted’s call for greater regulatory powers and more proactive identification of unregistered providers. True SEND support cannot happen in the shadows.
Parents and carers must be able to trust that any setting educating their child is safe, trained, and accountable. The rise of informal or semi-legal provision signals system strain—and it must be addressed with urgency and integrity.
8. Families Face a Broken SEND System
Perhaps the most heartbreaking insight from the report: families of children with SEND are struggling against a broken system. Long waits for EHCPs, poor inter-agency communication, and inconsistent local offers are failing children.
The National Audit Office cited a 140% rise in EHCP demand in the last decade. While government funding increases are welcome, they don’t fix the core issue: the gap between what families need and what the system delivers.
Parents speak of exhaustion, lost income, and years spent fighting for services. Schools describe overwhelmed SENCOs and burned-out staff. Social workers report inconsistent local authority responses and a lack of joined-up care. The call for transformation is not abstract—it’s urgent.
Effective SEND support demands joined-up planning, early intervention, and consistent national standards. Welcare urges local and national leaders to listen to families, build collaborative systems, and invest in sustainable solutions.
9. Inclusion Is Not Optional
The Ofsted report makes it clear: inclusion must be embedded across all education and care settings. This means accessible buildings, inclusive cultures, and high expectations for every learner—regardless of ability.
Initial teacher education inspections revealed that the best training providers equip future teachers to understand their local context and tailor their teaching accordingly. That same principle must apply across the board. True SEND support means believing in every child’s potential—and doing the work to meet it.
Welcare stands for universal design, differentiated instruction, trauma-informed practice, and cultural humility. Our goal is not just to meet standards, but to exceed expectations—especially for those children who’ve been historically overlooked or underserved.
The Path Forward: What Welcare Believes
At Welcare, we see what’s possible when children with SEND are given consistent care, positive environments, and opportunities to thrive. We believe:
Early intervention changes lives
Relationships are the foundation of trust
Inclusive education benefits every child
Families deserve clarity, not confusion
Children with SEND are not an afterthought—they are our priority
The Ofsted report is not just a diagnosis. It’s a roadmap. With bold leadership, community collaboration, and a trauma-informed approach, we can build a future where SEND support is consistent, effective, and available to all.
Because every child deserves the chance to grow, learn, and belong.
