Families in Plymouth have seen real improvements in the support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) receive, and the Secretary of State has now confirmed that, as a result of this progress, the city’s SEND Improvement Notice has been officially lifted.
The decision means the government is satisfied that Plymouth has made the urgent changes needed following an Ofsted and Care Quality Commission inspection in 2023, and that services across education, health and care are now working better together, with children, young people and families at the centre.
In a letter received this week, the Secretary of State for Education recognised the “significant commitment, determination and hard work” that has gone into improving SEND support in Plymouth, and praised stronger leadership, better partnership working and clearer oversight across the system.
For families, this means a SEND system that is more joined‑up, more accountable and more focused on getting the right support in place at the right time. Since entering intervention, partners across the city have worked together to strengthen leadership, improve how decisions are made, and ensure services are planned around the needs of children and young people, not organisational boundaries.
The announcement follows a SEND monitoring visit completed in December 2025, which confirmed that progress was being made, and builds on earlier positive feedback from Ofsted about improvements in how the city works together to support children and families.
While the lifting of the Improvement Notice is an important milestone, Plymouth’s partners are clear that this is not the end of the journey. Work will continue to strengthen services further, improve consistency and make sure the changes being made translate into real, everyday improvements for children, young people and their families.
David Haley, Strategic Director of Children’s Services at Plymouth City Council, said: “This is really important recognition of the hard work that has gone on across Plymouth to improve support for children and young people with SEND. Most importantly, it reflects the collective commitment of our frontline staff, schools, health colleagues, parent carers and partners, who have worked together to put children and families back at the heart of everything we do.
“Lifting the Improvement Notice doesn’t mean the job is done, but it does show that we are moving in the right direction. We know there is more to do, and we remain fully committed to listening to families, working in partnership and continuing to improve services so children and young people with SEND in Plymouth can thrive.”
Susan Bracefield, Chief Clinical Officer at NHS Devon, said: “The lifting of the Ofsted improvement notice is welcome and, most importantly, it means better experiences and outcomes for children and young people with SEND and for their families across Plymouth. This progress reflects a shared commitment to listening to families, improving access to timely support, and working more closely around the needs of each child. I want to recognise the contribution of all health organisations providing acute and community services, and to thank health service leaders for their sustained leadership and collaboration throughout the improvement programme. Together, this work is helping to build more consistent, coordinated care that families can rely on and that supports children with SEND to thrive.”
Rob Williams, from the Tedd Wragg Trust, said: “This is a moment Plymouth should feel genuinely proud of. The lifting of the SEND Improvement Notice reflects a great deal of hard work across the city and a real commitment from schools, the local authority, health colleagues, families and partners to work together in the interests of children and young people.
“As place-based lead, I have seen the strength of that collective effort first hand. What matters now is that we build on this progress with honesty, care and ambition. There is still more to do, but this gives us a strong foundation to keep improving the experience of children, young people and families across Plymouth. The best work happens when we act as one city, with children at the centre, and this is an important step forward in that journey.”
Claire Paddon, from Plymouth Parent Carer Voice, said: “We were pleased to be involved in the local area partnership SEND monitoring visit. We are delighted that the improvement notice has been lifted and that as part of the local area partnership we will continue to ensure that the voice of parents shapes services”.
