Inspectors commend North Yorkshire on special educational needs provision

Following two visits to North Yorkshire, in the summer and October, an Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection team found there was "an ambitious culture" among those working with this group of children.

Early identification of children's specific needs was praised, and inspectors were particularly impressed with the council's referral system, which is "saving time and speeding up the initial, accurate assessment of needs".

Outreach work in North Yorkshire, which is geographically England's largest county, was also praised especially for close working with special schools and enhanced mainstream schools that have additional funding to support children with SEN.

Meanwhile, education, health and care plans were found to be "strong", with inspectors adding that they "effectively supported the progress of children and young people".

Transition arrangements, when children move between schools are "effective" and ensure children settle in quickly, the inspectors also say in a letter outlining the findings.

Despite the praise, inspectors noted some areas where improvement is needed. They are concerned that the differences in outcomes between children with special educational needs and disabilities and their peers are wider than national averages, across early years as well as Key Stages 1 and 2.

There is also concern that some families face a postcode lottery of support, with waiting times for speech and language therapy "too long" in some localities.

Meanwhile, not all areas are offering a good range of post-19 opportunities for young people. Ofsted and the CQC also want to see the council give parents, carers and those working with children with SEN and disabilities better information about local support.