Approach an experienced SEND reviewer via a teaching school hub, local school network, or the Whole School SEND consortium, then agree a written scope. Expect about £300–£500 a day for one to two days.
Find a reviewer and agree the scope
Start by sourcing someone who has actually improved SEND outcomes in a setting, not a generalist school-improvement consultant. The Department for Education suggests three routes: a teaching school hub, your local school network or trust, and members of the Whole School SEND consortium. Then put the brief in writing before any visit. Agree a short document that sets out:
- what the review covers and what it deliberately leaves out;
- who the reviewer talks to, and what they observe;
- roles and responsibilities on both sides;
- the output you expect, and the date you get it.
Ask any prospective reviewer for evidence of having raised outcomes for pupils with SEND in settings they have led or supported. That single question separates a useful external read from an expensive box-ticking exercise.
What it costs and how long it takes
There is no set fee and no statutory requirement to commission a review, so the price is negotiated. The DfE figure, still live in 2026, is a typical system-leader day rate of around £300–£500, with a review taking roughly one to two working days including preparation and feedback. A review typically looks across the same eight areas the self-evaluation framework uses: outcomes, leadership, teaching and learning, working with pupils and parents, assessment and identification, monitoring and evaluation, efficient use of resources, and the overall quality of SEND provision.
Try the free self-evaluation route first
Most schools should not pay anyone until they have run the free SEND Review Guide (revised May 2025), a school-led self-evaluation built around those same eight areas. It was once restricted to a trial; it is now free to every setting. Score yourselves honestly first, and you will brief any paid reviewer far better, and may find you do not need one yet.
The caveat for maintained schools
If you are a local-authority-maintained school, you cannot simply hire whoever you like. You must follow your council’s usual contracting and procurement procedures before engaging an external reviewer. Academies and trusts have more freedom but should still check their own procurement policy. With Ofsted’s revised inspection framework from September 2025 weighting inclusion far more heavily, scope your review against today’s inspection expectations rather than older wording.
Where the law comes from
Related
This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.