SEND Pre-Inspection Tracker

A detailed and easy-to-use SEND Pre-Inspection Tracker designed to help leaders prepare for an Ofsted inspection or reinspection in a SEND setting.
If you are opening a new SEND setting, preparing for a first inspection, or responding to previous inspection actions, this tracker helps you check whether your evidence, systems and practice are ready before inspectors arrive. It is built around key Ofsted inspection areas and helps leaders identify gaps quickly, assign actions and track progress.

What’s included

This Excel tracker includes separate tabs for:

• Start Here guidance
• Pre-inspection dashboard
• Previous inspection actions
• Safeguarding and Single Central Record checks
• SEND and EHCP evidence
• Curriculum
• Behaviour and attendance
• Premises compliance
• Site walk checks
• Website compliance
• Staff training
• Leadership and governance
• Pupil evidence
• Inspection folder
• Action plan
• Dropdown choices

Key features

• Simple Yes / No / Partial / N/A dropdowns
• RAG rating system
• Priority levels
• Owner column
• Deadline column
• Evidence location column
• Notes and action column
• Dashboard to monitor readiness
• Action plan tab for gaps and follow-up
• Clear inspection-focused prompts
• Designed for SEND and specialist settings

Perfect for

• New SEND settings preparing for pre-inspection
• Schools opening a new specialist provision
• Independent SEND schools
• Alternative provision with SEND pupils
• SENCOs
• Headteachers
• Proprietors and governors
• Inspection leads
• School business managers
• Site managers
• Safeguarding leads
• Leaders preparing for Ofsted reinspection

Areas covered

The tracker helps leaders review:

• safeguarding systems
• Single Central Record
• safer recruitment evidence
• EHCP provision
• annual reviews
• curriculum intent and sequencing
• communication and literacy provision
• behaviour, attendance and regulation
• premises compliance
• fire safety
• electrical safety
• water safety checks
• entry, exit and site security
• website compliance
• staff training records
• leadership and governance oversight
• pupil files and evidence
• inspection folder readiness

Suggested use

Start with the Start Here tab, then complete each checklist using the dropdown options. Use Yes only when evidence has been checked and matches practice. Use Partial where evidence exists but is not yet fully secure. Use No where something is missing, outdated or not embedded.
Any red, amber, no or partial items can then be transferred into the Action Plan tab so leaders can track owners, deadlines, evidence needed and completion.