What is an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan Review?
EHC Plan Review meetings are part of the continuous cycle of the 'Assess, Plan, Do, Review' Cycle.
An EHC Plan Review, sometimes called a SEND Review, must:
- Focus on a child or young person's progress towards their objectives, outcomes and longer term aspirations. These are specified in their Statement of SEND or EHC Plan.
- Identify any changed circumstances.
- Consider whether the current information remains appropriate.
- Be undertaken in partnership with the child or young person and their parent. This takes account of their views, wishes and feelings.
- Consider whether there need to be any changes to provision or the educational setting.
- Consider whether the EHC Plan should continue.
We review Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans every year. This might be called an EHCP Review or a Special Educational Needs Review.
What happens after an EHC Plan Review meeting?
- The EHC Plan Review paperwork should provide evidence based on the 'Assess, Plan, Do, Review' Cycle. It should include advice from professionals / agencies supporting the child or young person.
- The Educational Setting completes the review paperwork and sends it to us.
- The Local Authority must consider the review paperwork. We then inform the parents whether we intend to maintain, amend or even stop the EHC Plan. Parents can oppose the decision.
Requesting a change in Placement / Provision
Any requests for a change to educational placements is part of the EHC Plan Review process. Sometimes the EHC Review meeting identifies a change in the child or young person’s needs. This can mean that the provision in place is insufficient or is no longer fully meeting these needs. Sometimes the change in needs will or show a reduction in provision.
- The review meeting paperwork should recommend strategies, interventions and provision to meet the child/young person's needs. The paperwork is sent to the Statutory SEND Service.
- The Local Authority Statutory SEND panel will consider the request. We will decide if there is a need for a change in provision . We inform parents and the school as part of the process of actioning the EHC Plan Review.
How often do EHC Plan Reviews happen?
EHC Plan Reviews are at least every 12 months or every 6 months for children under 5 years of age. An individual’s progress will be monitored through the EHC Plan Review process. We also look at whether we will stop an EHC Plan.
Sometimes we hold an early or an extra EHC Plan review. It might be appropriate when:
- A child or young person is new to Cornwall.
- Something changes in a child or young person’s special educational needs. Usually if this is a significant change. Sometimes circumstances mean we need to review how suitable their educational provision is.
- Where there are significant concerns about a child/young person's progress. against the objectives/outcomes specified in their statement of SEND or EHC Plan.
- The educational placement named within their statement of SEND or EHC Plan is at risk.
Transfer between Phases of Education
A EHC Plan must be reviewed and amended before a child/young person moves between key phases of education. This means there must be enough time for getting the right support in place.
SEND Reviews for children/young people transferring between phases of education must be in the summer term. This is a full academic year before transfer.
| Key Transfer Phase | When the SEN review must be held |
| Early Years child moving to school | Summer term one year prior to starting school |
| Year 1 child in an Infant school | Summer term of Y1, one year prior to transfer from Y2 to Y3 |
| Year 5 child | Summer term of Y5, one year prior to transfer from primary to secondary |
| Year 6 | Between February and May half terms |
| Year 10 young person | Summer term of Y10, one year prior to transfer from secondary to post-16 |
| Year 11 | Early in the summer term |
| Post 16 | Summer term |
Review Documents
- EHC Plan Review Guidelines
- Good Practice Guide for involving Children and Young People in their SEND Review
- Parent Carer Information about SEND Reviews
- Preparing to move to Post 16 Provision Transition Planning
- Year 5 and Year 6 Transition Planning
Review Forms
- EHC Plan Review Y5 and Y10 Preference Form
- EHC Plan Review Checklist
- EHC Plan Review Form
- SEND Review Form Child or Young Person Contribution Sample 1
- SEND Review Form Child or Young Person Contribution Sample 2
- SEND Review Form Child or Young Person Contribution Sample 3
- SEND Review Form Child or Young Person Contribution Sample 4
- SEND Review Form Parent Carers Contribution