Annual Reviews
An EHC plan should be reviewed at least every 12 months - this is called an annual review. You have the right to call an early review if you feel the plan needs to be updated.
Before the review
A few months before the review, start thinking about which professionals you would like to attend the meeting. This can include educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, family intervention service, health professionals etc. You can also ask the local authority (LA) to attend if you wish.
Once you receive notice of the annual review meeting (this should be two weeks before), start familiarising yourself with your child’s EHC plan. You should also ask school to send invites to any other professionals you wish to attend the meeting.
If professionals cannot attend the meeting, school can ask them for an updated report to feed into the annual review.
School may ask you for your views and for your child’s views.
At the review meeting
The review meeting is a chance for everyone to get together and discuss the EHC plan. Section E (outcomes), Section B (educational needs) and section F (educational provision) should all be discussed.
You can also ask for a change of placement (nursery, school or college).
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Section B should be an accurate reflection of your child's educational needs. If you feel your child's needs have changed, you can ask that the EHC plan be amended to reflect this
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Section F should include all educational provision which needs to be in place to meet each of the needs set out in Section B.
Each need should have a corresponding provision
Provision should be specific and quantifiable. There should not be any vague wording.
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There should be a discussion about the child or young person's progress towards their outcomes. This will inform whether additional support needs to be written into the EHC plan to help them achieve the outcomes
After the meeting
After the meeting, the school must send some paperwork to the LA, outlining what was discussed in the meeting.
The LA will consider this and make a decision about what they are going to do with the EHC plan. There are 3 decisions they can make, and each of them is appealable:
make amendments to the EHC plan
Not make any amendments to the EHC plan
Cease to maintain the EHC plan
We can support you in considering your options following the decision.
If the LA decide to make amendments to the EHC plan, they will issue a draft plan. We can also support you with checking a draft plan. We run online information sessions - book your place here