Nottingham's special educational needs services have avoided a written statement of action from the Government following an intensive inspection last year. The Government instead says it was "encouraged" by the city's services and efforts to improve them.
According to the latest statistics there are 47,335 children and young people in Nottingham schools and 7,418 (or 15.7percent) have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission conducted an inspection spanning a number of days in early November last year. It was generally positive, finding there is an "appropriate strategy in place to improve outcomes for children and young people with SEND" while leaders were beginning to "overcome" significant organisational change".
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Challenges within provision had generally been faced by leaders, but some issues remained. These included "some considerable dissatisfaction among parents with the quality of SEND provision in the area".
This was because leaders had "not ensured that key information for parents is widely disseminated and fully accessible". Inspectors also described transitioning through services, particularly from children and young people's services to adult services, akin to "jumping off a cliff".
Despite this, however, a letter from Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Children and Families, Will Quince, said the Government had been "encouraged" by the council's work.
"I would like to take the opportunity to congratulate you on the recent findings in your Ofsted and CQC SEND inspection report," Mr Quince said in the letter.
"I have been encouraged by the response from leaders in your local area to the SEND inspection and pleased to see your collective commitment to improving outcomes for children and young people."
Cheryl Barnard, portfolio holder for children and young people and councillor for Bulwell Forest, said those involved should be "very pleased" with the result. The inspection series spanned a number of years and recently came to a head.
During a meeting of executive councillors on Tuesday (March 22) she said the report covered seven educational settings; two primary academies, two secondary academies, two special educational needs schools, one council-run, as well as Nottingham College and a range of health and social care providers.
"If significant weaknesses are identified a written statement of action is issued, the inspection did not identify any significant weaknesses in our local SEND provision that would require action. Nationally 80 percent of local area inspections in 2021 received a written statement of action," she said.
"We will be working with partners to address the weaknesses identified by the inspection and ensuring as a local area we develop joint strategies." Councillors were told the majority of children and young people said they "felt safe and well supported in their schools and they spoke of their ambitions" when speaking with inspectors.
David Mellen, Dales ward councillor and leader of the council, added: "I think this is absolutely delightful. There are things we need to work on but the actual accreditation of the institutions that were not picked in advance and could have not been prepared and created an artificial situation for these inspectors on their visit.
"They were picked at random and they came out with this message that there is a strong priority for inclusion in our city and actually children whatever their backgrounds and whatever their specific needs, they are being met and included. Quite a lot of other authorities around the country have not received the praise this report gives to Nottingham."
