The Governor Question Bank for SEND

How do we know a pupil's identified need is grounded in evidence, not just a teacher's impression?

A defensible register depends on this being answerable for every pupil, not just the complex cases.

What's our average time from a concern being raised to a decision on next steps?

Delay here compounds. A slow identification process quietly costs pupils the most time when they need it least.

Do we have criteria for removing a pupil from the register, not just adding them?

Registers that only grow are a sign nobody's checking whether support is still needed, not that need is increasing.

What's our SEND spend per pupil, and how does that compare with similar schools?

Without a comparison point, it's impossible to know if spend is proportionate, generous, or insufficient.

How much of our TA time goes to 1:1 withdrawal versus in-class support, and why?

The evidence consistently favours well-supported in-class provision. A heavy 1:1 skew deserves a specific rationale.

If our highest-need pupil left tomorrow, would our staffing model still make sense for everyone remaining?

Surfaces whether resourcing decisions are being made pupil-by-pupil rather than strategically.

For our top three interventions by spend, what evidence do we have that they're working?

Spend and impact aren't the same thing. This question separates activity from effect.

How many pupils moved off SEND Support this year because they no longer needed it?

A number stuck at or near zero, over several years, is worth asking about directly.

What does progress actually look like for our most complex pupils, beyond attendance at a session?

Attendance at an intervention is not the same as the intervention working.

Are all EHCP annual reviews being completed within the statutory 12-month window?

This is one of the most common areas Ofsted probes, and one of the easiest to have a clear yes or no answer for.

Do we have any live or recent complaints or tribunal cases, and what pattern, if any, do they show?

A single case is an incident. A pattern across cases is a systemic issue that needs addressing at governance level, not case level.

If Ofsted arrived tomorrow, could our SENDCo produce evidence of graduated response within 30 minutes?

Good practice that can't be evidenced quickly is, in an inspection, indistinguishable from practice that doesn't exist.