Improvements made for Walsall SEND pupils, watchdog says

Walsall Council was criticised in 2019 for "significant weaknesses" in supporting SEND pupils.

Education services for children in Walsall with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) have made progress, inspectors said.

A critical Ofsted report in 2019 said there were "significant weaknesses" from the council in supporting SEND pupils.

"Sufficient progress" has been made in fixing seven of the nine weaknesses, the watchdog said.

The council said the improvements were down to better communication.

The seven improved areas included outcomes for children and young people with SEND and suspensions and exclusions from schools.

Two others - quality of education health care plans and local services - were still weak but inspectors said progress was being made.

The council had been told to draw up an action plan, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The board has been chaired by Victoria Whittaker-Stokes, a parent of SEND children from outside the area, and she said she was pleased to see the improvements.

"We will continue to listen to what families are telling us and drive forward improvements," she added.

'Much better communication'

The reinspection took place in June this year and Ofsted said it will continue to monitor the two areas still requiring improvement.

Better ways of working between the authority, families, carers and schools has been behind the changes, councillor Mark Statham said.

"There is much better communication and help is available," he said.

"Parents are now saying they feel involve have a stake in there and have a say in there."