How are SEND services in Waltham Forest performing?
Parents have asked Waltham Forest Council for clear performance figures and targets for special educational needs and disability (SEND) services. This site brings together what has already been published by the Department for Education, Ofsted and the council's own committee papers. Every figure links to its source.
Headlines
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New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks, 2025
25.7%London 61.6% · England 46.1% · Similar areas 65.8%
31st of 32 London boroughs (1st = best)
10th of 11 with its similar areas (1st = best)
Assessments and timeliness -
Within 20 weeks, council's latest figure (July 2026 report)
12%Published target: none
What the council reports -
Annual reviews due in 2025 that were completed
49.1%London 47.4% · England 56.8% · Similar areas 36.5%
16th of 32 London boroughs (1st = best)
3rd of 11 with its similar areas (1st = best)
Annual reviews -
Annual review decisions within the legal 4 weeks, 2025
23.4%London 42.3% · England 47.6% · Similar areas 27.3%
26th of 31 London boroughs (1st = best)
7th of 10 with its similar areas (1st = best)
Annual reviews -
EHC plans maintained, Jan 2026
3,946Up 109.9% since Jan 2019 (England up 103.1%)
EHC plans -
SEND Tribunal appeal rate, 2025
3.7%England 6.6% · Similar areas 7.0%
8th of 31 London boroughs (1st = lowest)
2nd of 10 with its similar areas (1st = lowest)
Complaints and appeals -
Schools budget (DSG) deficit, 31 March 2026
£14.32mHigh Needs overspend forecast for 2026/27: £13.68m
Money -
Ofsted / CQC area SEND inspection, February 2025
InconsistentThe middle of three outcomes: experiences and outcomes are inconsistent
Inspection
No published targets for timeliness or annual reviews. The council's SEND Improvement Plan tracks 20-week timeliness and annual reviews completed on time. It records baselines but sets no numeric target for either. The SEND Strategy 2025–2028 says "clear targets" will sit in a separate Local Area Plan (London Borough of Waltham Forest, Waltham Forest SEND Strategy 2025 - 2028 (Appendix 1 to Cabinet report) (December 2025), p. 4). We have not found those targets published.
The only new numbers are in the SEND Reform Plan the council sent to the DfE in June 2026. They cover slowing the growth in EHC plans and putting more children on SEN support, not how quickly families get a plan or a review (London Borough of Waltham Forest, Schools Forum report pack, 8 July 2026 (DSG outturn 2025-26; SEND Reform Plan) (July 2026), p. 178). See every target we could find.
What changed
For four years, Waltham Forest issued about nine in ten new EHC plans within the 20-week legal limit, well above London and England. That fell to 50.8% in 2024 and 25.7% in 2025. That puts the borough 31st of 32 London boroughs (1st = best), and 10th of 11 with its similar areas (1st = best) (councils the DfE judges most like Waltham Forest). The council's own reports show the same thing, and no recovery yet: 28% in August 2025, and in July 2026 "timeliness in statutory processes remains 12% within 20 weeks" (London Borough of Waltham Forest, Schools Forum report pack, 8 July 2026 (DSG outturn 2025-26; SEND Reform Plan) (July 2026), p. 178). The council puts the fall down to delays in educational psychologist advice (London Borough of Waltham Forest, SEND Improvement Plan - Progress So Far (October 2025), p. 4).
New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
The share of new EHC plans finalised within the 20-week legal deadline, not counting cases where a legal exception applies. Calendar years.
Show the numbers
| Area | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Waltham Forest | 56.5% | 89.6% | 89.6% | 89.7% | 90.7% | 50.8% | 25.7% |
| London | 64.6% | 61.8% | 63.9% | 54.7% | 70.0% | 66.9% | 61.6% |
| England | 60.4% | 58.0% | 59.9% | 49.2% | 50.3% | 46.4% | 46.1% |
| Similar areas | 61.8% | 65.6% | 69.1% | 55.1% | 81.0% | 71.3% | 65.8% |
Source: DfE, Education, health and care plans: Timeliness of new education, health and care plans, including those issued within the statutory 20 weeks (downloaded 2026-10-25)
Sections
- Assessments
Requests, decisions, and how long new EHC plans take. - EHC plans
How many children have a plan and where they go to school. - Annual reviews
Whether plans are reviewed every year as the law requires. - Outcomes
Results at 11 and 16, exclusions and attendance for pupils with SEND. - Health
Waiting times for therapy, autism and ADHD assessment, and CAMHS. - Complaints and appeals
SEND Tribunal appeals, Ombudsman decisions and complaints to the council. - Targets
Legal timescales, and the targets the council has and hasn't set. - Deadlines
Work out the legal deadlines for your own child's assessment, review or appeal. - Inspection
What Ofsted and CQC found in 2025. - Money
High needs funding and the schools budget deficit.
About the figures
National statistics come from the Department for Education's Explore Education Statistics and are refreshed automatically. Local figures come from council and NHS papers, cited to the page. They are copied as printed, including the council's own warning that its case management data may be inaccurate (London Borough of Waltham Forest, SEND Improvement Plan - Progress So Far (October 2025), p. 5). See sources and method.
The next DfE figures for EHC plans, covering 2026, are due on 24 June 2027 (provisional). See when new figures are due.
Spotted a mistake or know of a newer document? Email [email protected].