50 Things Every SENCO Must Have Before Ofsted Knocks

When Ofsted arrives — often with just 48 hours' notice — your SEND provision will be under the microscope. The 2025 inspection framework now includes a standalone Inclusion evaluation area, making SEND compliance more critical than ever.

This guide breaks down the 50 essential items every SENCO should have ready, organised into 8 categories that mirror how inspectors actually evaluate your provision.

A. SENCO Qualifications & Leadership (6 items)

Inspectors will verify your credentials and leadership positioning within the first hour.

1. NASENCO qualification — or evidence you're working towards it (SCoP 6.84)
2. QTS confirmation — SENCOs must be qualified teachers under SEND Regulations 2014
3. SLT access evidence — meeting minutes showing regular SENCO attendance (SCoP 6.87)
4. Named SEND governor — with documented portfolio responsibilities (SCoP 6.94)
5. Termly governor reports — formal SEND updates to the governing body
6. CPD record — your professional development review from the last 12 months

B. Identification & the SEND Register (6 items)

Your register is the foundation. Inspectors will scrutinise how you identify and track pupils.

7. Live SEND register — current, accurate, and accessible (SCoP 6.15)
8. Termly review evidence — dated records showing when the register was last updated
9. Identification process document — clear, written procedure for how pupils are identified
10. Four areas of need coverage — evidence all areas are considered during identification
11. Early identification protocols — how you catch needs before they escalate
12. Transition data — records from feeder schools for new pupils

C. Assess-Plan-Do-Review Cycle (8 items)

The graduated approach is non-negotiable. You need evidence of active cycles for every SEND pupil.

13. APDR records for each pupil — dated, with clear targets and outcomes
14. Baseline assessments — pre-intervention data for all supported pupils
15. Progress tracking system — showing movement against targets
16. Review meeting records — with parent/carer signatures where possible
17. Intervention impact data — pre/post scores for every intervention
18. Provision map — showing all "additional to and different from" support
19. Exit criteria — documented thresholds for stepping down support
20. Referral logs — records of external agency involvement

D. EHC Plans & Annual Reviews (8 items)

Legal compliance here is absolute. One missing annual review can trigger serious concerns.

21. EHC plan copies — current versions for all pupils with plans
22. Annual review schedule — showing all reviews are within 12-month cycle
23. Review meeting records — compliant with Children & Families Act 2014
24. LA submission evidence — proof reviews were sent within 2 weeks (SCoP 9.176)
25. Outcome tracking — progress against each EHC plan outcome
26. Provision delivery evidence — showing specified hours/support are being delivered
27. Pupil views records — documented for every annual review
28. Parent/carer contribution records — their views captured formally

E. Parent Engagement (6 items)

Inspectors will speak to parents. Your documentation should reflect genuine partnership.

29. Communication logs — records of parent contact for SEND pupils
30. Meeting records — formal meetings with dates, attendees, outcomes
31. SEND Information Report — published on school website (statutory)
32. Local Offer signposting — evidence you direct parents to LA resources
33. Complaint/concern records — and how they were resolved
34. Co-production evidence — parents involved in planning support

F. Curriculum & Teaching (8 items)

Quality First Teaching adaptations must be visible and documented.

35. QFT strategy list — universal adaptations in place across school
36. Differentiation evidence — lesson plans showing SEND adaptations
37. Learning walk records — internal monitoring of SEND teaching quality
38. TA deployment plan — how support staff are allocated and trained
39. CPD records for all staff — SEND training completed this year
40. Exam access arrangements — documented and approved
41. Curriculum access audit — can all SEND pupils access the full curriculum?
42. Homework/assessment adaptations — documented reasonable adjustments

G. Safeguarding Overlap (4 items)

SEND and safeguarding intersect constantly. Inspectors will probe this.

43. DSL-SENCO communication records — regular liaison documented
44. Vulnerability identification — SEND pupils flagged in safeguarding systems
45. Attendance tracking — SEND pupil attendance vs whole-school
46. Exclusion data — SEND pupils' exclusion rates and alternatives tried

H. Policy & Governance (6 items)

Your paperwork must be current, published, and aligned to statutory requirements.

47. SEND Policy — reviewed within last 12 months, published on website
48. Accessibility Plan — statutory requirement under Equality Act 2010
49. Equality objectives — published and reviewed
50. Medical needs policy — if you have pupils with health conditions

The Problem: Building This From Scratch Takes 40+ Hours

Most SENCOs we speak to are already stretched thin. Between teaching commitments, parent meetings, and the daily demands of coordinating provision, finding time to create compliant documentation is nearly impossible.

That's why we created the SchoolVault SEND Compliance Pack — four professional templates that cover the most critical items on this list, all mapped to the SEND Code of Practice 2015 and the 2025 Ofsted framework.