Ofsted’s inspection reforms brought big changes in November 2025, including a closer focus on inclusion and support for pupils with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).
The following blog post explores these changes and the increased focus on inclusion; the importance of SEND and Speech and Language provisions; and how you can strengthen your speech and language provision.
Ofsted Inspection Changes: A Quick Recap
The 2025 reforms came into action on the 10th November 2025, and represent a significant shift in how schools are evaluated.
As part of this, Ofsted has now moved away from the traditional single-term rating system - where schools were formerly given an overall label such as ‘Requires Improvement’; ‘Adequate’; ‘Good’ or ‘Outstanding’ - and replaced it with detailed report cards; a shift which aims to reduce pressure on schools of waiting for a single defining ‘score’.
Schools are instead now assessed across an array of key categories. The categories are as follows:
Each of the above categories (excluding Safeguarding, which is evaluated on a met/not met foundation), are now rated on a ‘5-Point Scale’ from Exceptional; to Urgent Improvement. This revised approach highlights both strengths, and areas for development, allowing for a more holistic overview which seeks to provide a more well-rounded picture of a school’s performance.
Greater Focus on Inclusion
As seen above, ‘Inclusion’ is importantly a key category that Ofsted will evaluate within inspections.
According to the State-Funded School Inspection Toolkit, Inclusion is about how leaders and staff both identify and support socioeconomically disadvantaged pupils; pupils who are known (or previously known) to children’s social care; pupils with SEND and pupils who may face other barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing.
There is a high prevalence of children requiring SEND support in schools. Data from the Department for Education highlights how, in 2025, 482,640 pupils had an EHCP, and 1,284,284% had SEN support without an EHCP. Both of these figures have grown since 2024, and continue to increase.
How Prevalent are Speech, Language and Communication Needs in the UK?
With EHCP and SEN provision figures growing, how many of these children have Speech, Language and Communication Needs (SLCN)?
Data has shown that Speech, Language and Communication Needs are the second most common primary need for children with EHCPs, and the most common primary need for those with SEN support without an EHCP.
To paint an even bigger picture, there are around 2 million children in the UK who struggle with talking and understanding words, according to Speech and Language UK.
But, that’s not all. SLCN can also look very different for different children, which means that we need to look beyond a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach. For example:
Universal screening can be an incredible tool for identifying pupils with a range of SLCN. Meanwhile, targeted interventions led by specialist speech and language therapists can provide this more specialised support.
Recent research conducted by NHS England, and the Department for Education, has already shown in its first year the effectiveness of universal screening and targeted intervention. Whilst universal screening has helped to identify 'large numbers' of pupils with previously unidentified needs; targeted interventions have led to 'improvements in communication, confidence, and readiness to learn'.
Why is Speech, Language and Communication Intervention So Crucial?
For children with unidentified SLCN, there can be many impacts on mental health and wellbeing; academic attainment; future employment and more.
We know that:
Reading these stats is a stark reminder why Speech, Language and Communication support is vital. And, with schools often facilitating interventions that fulfil Speech and Language requirements in EHCPs, having as many robust and effective means of supporting children and young people can make the world of difference long-term.
How can Schools Strengthen their Speech and Language Provision?
As schools adapt to Ofsted’s increased focus on inclusion, now is an important time to review how effectively you identify and support pupils with speech, language and communication needs.
For some schools, this means strengthening universal screening processes in the early years. For others, it involves ensuring timely access to specialist assessment and targeted intervention, particularly for pupils with persistent absence, Emotionally Based School Avoidance, or barriers that make in-person provision more complex.
Digital delivery models can be used to complement in-school provision, and online speech and language therapy can enable schools to access qualified therapists more flexibly, support pupils who struggle to attend consistently, and maintain continuity of intervention where local capacity is limited. Alongside direct therapy, staff training can help to build confidence in identifying early signs of SLCN and with embedding communication-supportive strategies across the classroom.
Mable Therapy: How We Help
At Mable Therapy, we’re passionate about making speech and language support accessible, flexible, and effective. Our gamified, 1:1 online platform connects pupils with specialist speech and language therapists - making assessment and intervention available for a wider range of pupils. With bespoke therapist matching, each session is tailored to the pupil’s needs, as well as their interests. With weekly reports, and a MAT-level dashboard for multi-academy-trusts, pupil progress can be tracked effectively.
In addition to direct therapy, our Mable Early Years Language and Communication Screener tool (MELCS) can provide universal screening for signs of SLCN for children aged 3-5. Likewise, we also provide CPD courses which span a range of topics around Speech and Language and Mental Health - and are a brilliant resource for teaching staff and SENCOs to expand their knowledge in particular areas.
As Ofsted’s framework evolves, inclusion is central to how schools are evaluated. Given the clear links between speech, language and communication needs, academic attainment, mental health and long-term outcomes, strengthening SLCN identification and intervention is not simply about compliance, but also about ensuring that every pupil has access to learning, participation and opportunity.
To find out more about how Mable Therapy is supporting schools with speech and language provisions, visit: www.mabletherapy.com/schools