# Waltham Forest SEND data

> Independent site showing how special educational needs and disability (SEND) services in Waltham Forest, London, are performing. Every figure links to a public source (DfE, NHS England, Ofsted, council papers). Not run by Waltham Forest Council.

## Guides for families

- [How do I ask for an EHC needs assessment?](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/ehcp-assessment-request.html.md): Write to the council's SEND service, using its request form or your own letter or email, and say why you think your child needs an assessment. A parent, a young person aged 16 or over, or the child's school can ask. A school needs your consent. The council must tell you within 6 weeks whether it will assess. In 2025 it made 85% of these decisions within 6 weeks (England 87%).
- [How long does an EHC plan take?](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/ehcp-waiting-time.html.md): Of the new EHC plans Waltham Forest issued in 2025, 26% (about 1 in 4) were issued within the 20-week legal limit. 60% took between 20 weeks and a year, and 14% (about 1 in 7) took more than a year. In London 62% were on time, and in England 46%. The council's own latest figure (July 2026 report) is 12% within 20 weeks.
- [What if the council refuses an assessment or a plan?](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/ehcp-refused.html.md): You can appeal to the SEND Tribunal. First you must contact a mediation adviser, who gives you a certificate whether or not you go on to mediation. Your appeal must reach the Tribunal within 2 months of the decision letter, or 1 month after the certificate if that is later. Across England, 98.9% of the appeals the Tribunal decided in 2024/25 went at least partly in the family's favour. In 2025, 62 appeals were made about Waltham Forest decisions.
- [What should happen at an annual review?](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/ehcp-annual-review.html.md): The council must review your child's EHC plan at least every 12 months. You should get at least 2 weeks' notice of the review meeting, and the reports at least 2 weeks before it. After the meeting the council has 4 weeks to tell you whether it will keep, change or end the plan. In 2025, Waltham Forest completed 49% of the reviews due (England 57%), and made its decision within 4 weeks after 23% of them (England 48%).
- [Can my child get a special school place?](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/special-school-places.html.md): In January 2026, 22% of children and young people with an EHC plan in Waltham Forest were at a special school, against 29% in England. In May 2025, the borough's 4 special schools had 817 pupils for 805 places, and the council forecasts 38% more children needing a specialist place by 2029/30. You can ask for a particular school when you get your child's draft EHC plan. The council must name it unless it is unsuitable for your child, or would be incompatible with other children's education or the efficient use of resources.
- [How long is the wait for an autism assessment?](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/autism-assessment-waiting-time.html.md): Children seen by NELFT, the NHS trust that assesses children in Waltham Forest, who had their first autism assessment appointment in the 3 months to March 2026, had waited a median of 431 days (about 14 months) since referral. Half waited longer. NICE says an assessment should start within 3 months. Across North East London the median was 677 days, in London 531 days and in England 473 days.
- [How long is the wait for an ADHD assessment?](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/adhd-assessment-waiting-time.html.md): The NHS does not publish how long children wait from referral to an ADHD assessment. It does publish how long children still on the waiting list have waited so far. In North East London in June 2026, 70% (about 7 in 10) of children aged 5 to 17 with an open referral had been waiting a year or more, and 41% two years or more. In London the figures were 56% and 30%, and in England 62% and 37%.

## Data pages

- [Overview](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/index.html.md): Independent figures on SEND services in Waltham Forest: how long EHC plans take, annual reviews, tribunal appeals, NHS waiting times and money. Every figure links to its source.
- [Assessments](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/assessments.html.md): In 2025, 25.7% of new EHC plans in Waltham Forest were issued within the legal 20 weeks (London 61.6%, England 46.1%). Requests, decisions and how long assessments take.
  - In 2025, Waltham Forest Council issued 25.7% of new EHC plans within the legal 20 weeks, against 46.1% in England, ranking 31st of 32 London boroughs (1st = best).
  - In its July 2026 report, Waltham Forest Council gave its own latest figure as 12% of EHC plans issued within 20 weeks.
  - In 2025, Waltham Forest Council decided 84.9% of requests for an EHC needs assessment within the legal 6 weeks, against 87.4% in England.
  - Waltham Forest Council reported refusing none of the requests for an EHC needs assessment it received in 2025 (England 26.6%), but recorded no decision for 17.6% of them (England 7.2%).
- [EHC plans](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/plans.html.md): Waltham Forest maintained 3,946 EHC plans in Jan 2026, up 109.9% since Jan 2019. How many children have a plan, their needs, and where they go to school.
  - Waltham Forest Council maintained 3,946 EHC plans in January 2026, up 109.9% since January 2019 (England up 103.1%).
  - In January 2026, 6.8% of pupils at Waltham Forest schools had an EHC plan, against 6.0% in England.
  - In January 2026, autism was the main need for 44.3% of pupils with an EHC plan in Waltham Forest, against 33.5% in England.
  - In January 2026, 59.6% of Waltham Forest's EHC plans named a mainstream school, against 51.8% in London and 45.5% in England.
  - In 2024/25, 33.9% of pupils who had been in Waltham Forest Council's care for at least 12 months had an EHC plan, against 36.2% in London and 33.9% in England.
- [Places](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/places.html.md): Special school places, forecast demand for specialist places, children with EHC plans and no school named or taught outside school, and children home educated or missing education in Waltham Forest.
  - In May 2025, Waltham Forest's 4 special schools had 817 pupils for 805 places.
  - Waltham Forest Council forecasts 38.3% more children needing a specialist place by 2029/30, against 26.7% across London.
  - In May 2026, Waltham Forest Council said 272 children and young people with an EHC plan had no school or college named.
  - In January 2026, Waltham Forest recorded 46 children of school age with an EHC plan as not in education: 1.2% of plans, against 0.4% in England.
- [Annual reviews](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/reviews.html.md): In 2025, 49.1% of Waltham Forest EHC plans due an annual review had one completed (England 56.8%). Reviews completed, and decisions made within the legal 4 weeks.
  - In 2025, Waltham Forest Council completed 49.1% of the EHC plan annual reviews that were due, against 56.8% in England.
  - In 2025, Waltham Forest Council made its decision within the legal 4 weeks after 23.4% of EHC plan annual reviews, against 47.6% in England.
  - 5 of the 1,638 annual reviews Waltham Forest Council completed in 2025 ended the EHC plan, although the council expects many plans to end once overdue reviews are done.
- [Outcomes](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/outcomes.html.md): Results at the end of Reception, at 11, at 16 and by 19, exclusions, attendance, and what young people do next, for pupils with SEND in Waltham Forest.
  - At the end of primary school in 2025/26, 35.3% of pupils with an EHC plan in Waltham Forest met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, against 20.7% in England.
  - In 2024/25, pupils with an EHC plan in Waltham Forest had 15.7 suspensions per 100 pupils, against 26.5 in England.
  - In 2025/26, 30.9% of pupils with an EHC plan in Waltham Forest were persistently absent, against 33.8% in England.
  - In 2026, 7.0% of 16 and 17 year olds with an EHC plan in Waltham Forest were not in education, employment or training, or their activity was not known, against 9.9% in England.
  - Of young people with an EHC plan in Waltham Forest who turned 19 in 2024/25, 14.7% were qualified to level 3 (the same level as 2 A levels), against 20.8% in London and 13.9% in England.
- [Health](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/health.html.md): NHS waiting times for children's therapies, autism and ADHD assessments and mental health services in Waltham Forest and North East London.
  - In August 2026, 76.7% of children on the community paediatrics waiting list at NELFT, the NHS trust that runs children's community health services in Waltham Forest, had waited over 18 weeks (England 74.0%).
  - Children seen by NELFT, the NHS trust that assesses children in Waltham Forest, who had a first autism assessment appointment in the 3 months to March 2026 had waited a median of about 14 months since referral.
  - In June 2026, 70.4% of children aged 5 to 17 waiting for an ADHD assessment in North East London, which includes Waltham Forest, had waited a year or more (England 61.9%).
  - NELFT's published autism and mental health figures changed suddenly in April 2026, so this site shows later months separately.
- [Complaints & appeals](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/disputes.html.md): Waltham Forest's SEND Tribunal appeal rate was 3.7% in 2025 (England 6.6%). Tribunal appeals, Ombudsman decisions and complaints to the council.
  - 62 appeals about Waltham Forest Council's SEND decisions were registered with the SEND Tribunal in 2025: an appeal rate of 3.7%, against 6.6% in England.
  - Across England, 98.9% of the SEND Tribunal appeals decided in 2024/25 went at least partly in the family's favour. The Ministry of Justice doesn't publish this for each council, so there is no figure for Waltham Forest.
  - In 2025/26, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman published 10 decisions about SEND in Waltham Forest, and found fault by the council in 9.
- [Inspection & targets](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/targets.html.md): Ofsted and CQC found "inconsistent experiences and outcomes" for children with SEND in Waltham Forest in 2025. What inspectors asked for, the legal deadlines, the targets the council has and hasn't set, how it is doing against them, and what families say about SEND services.
  - The 2025 Ofsted and CQC inspection of SEND services in Waltham Forest found "inconsistent experiences and outcomes", the middle of three possible outcomes.
  - In a January 2025 Waltham Forest Parent Forum survey, 162 of 255 parents and carers (63.5%) were dissatisfied with SEND services in Waltham Forest overall, and 39 (15.3%) were satisfied.
  - Waltham Forest Council has published no numeric target for how quickly it issues EHC plans or completes annual reviews.
  - Of the 13 commitments in Waltham Forest's SEND improvement plan with a number and a date, by our reading 2 have been met, 3 are behind, 2 are improving with no end point and 6 have no progress figure published.
- [Money](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/money.html.md): Cumulative DSG deficit at 31 March 2026 (outturn): £14.32m. High needs funding, the schools budget deficit and what Waltham Forest spends on SEND services compared with other councils.
  - Waltham Forest's schools budget, the Dedicated Schools Grant, had a deficit of £14.32m at 31 March 2026.
  - Waltham Forest Council forecasts that its High Needs budget, which pays for SEND support, will overspend by £13.68m in 2026/27.
  - The DfE has agreed a £12.89m High Needs Stability Grant for Waltham Forest. With the grant, Waltham Forest's Dedicated Schools Grant deficit is forecast at £15.12m on 31 March 2027.
  - Waltham Forest Council's net spend per head on educational psychology was £7 in 2024/25, against £24 in England. The council sells much of the service to schools, which lowers its net figure.
- [Resources](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/resources.html.md): Where to get free, independent advice about SEND in Waltham Forest, how to complain or appeal about the council, and a calculator for EHC plan deadlines.
- [Sources](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/sources.html.md): Where every figure on this site comes from, how it is calculated, and when new figures are due.
- [Deadlines calculator](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/deadlines.html.md): Work out the legal deadlines for an EHC needs assessment, an annual review or a SEND Tribunal appeal.
- [SEND in each school](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/schools.html.md): In Waltham Forest's secondary schools, 5.2% of pupils had an EHC plan, against 3.5% in England. Pupils with an EHC plan or SEN support in each mainstream school, and the borough's special schools, resourced provision and SEN units.
- [Where the money goes](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/spending.html.md): Waltham Forest paid for 82 children in independent or non-maintained special schools in 2025-26, at £5,505,726. What SEND places and packages cost, the council's payments to suppliers and its SEND contracts.
- [SEND Reform Plan](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/reform-plan.html.md): Waltham Forest's SEND Reform Plan aims to cut projected annual growth in EHC plans from 11.3% to 9.8% from 2027/28. The DfE accepted it on 2 October 2026. The full plan is not yet published: what council papers say so far.
  - The DfE accepted Waltham Forest's SEND Reform Plan on 2 October 2026.
  - Waltham Forest's SEND Reform Plan aims to cut projected yearly growth in EHC plans from 11.3% to 9.8% from 2027/28, and to raise the share of children on SEN support from 12.5% to 14%.
  - Most of the money in Waltham Forest's SEND Reform Plan is to go on "Experts at Hand", which gives schools access to specialist advice, but the council has not yet said how it will be spent.
  - The DfE has agreed a £12.89m High Needs Stability Grant for Waltham Forest.
- [About this site](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/about.html.md): An independent site, not run by Waltham Forest Council, that brings together published figures on SEND services in Waltham Forest. Every figure links to its public source. How it works, how it is kept up to date and how to report a mistake.

## Data

- [Every page as plain text](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/llms-full.txt): all the figures, tables and sources in one file
- [Headline figures (CSV)](https://wfsenddata.org.uk/data/headlines.csv)