Types of EHCP review
Depending on the age or stage your child is at, there are different types of review. Whatever stage you are at however, you should expect a review at least once a year, and all reviews are legally bound by the same process.
If your child is starting school, or moving to another phase of education, the review must take place at a certain time of year in order that everything is in place before the transition.
If your child is aged between 0-5
If your child is under 5 years old, their EHCP should be reviewed more regularly - at least every 6 months - to ensure that their provision continues to meet their changing needs as they grow. Depending on your child's needs, these more regular reviews may not require all professionals to attend.
We (Hertfordshire County Council) can request that your child's early years setting holds the review meeting on our behalf. Most reviews for younger children will be held in your child's setting and led by the professionals who work closely with your child. They know your child well, and will have the clearest information about progress and next steps. In exceptional circumstances, your child's review may be led by the Early Years SEND team at a different location - for example, if your child attends more than one setting.
Children (up until the end of Reception year) with an EHCP will be allocated to an Early Years Education, Health and Care Plan Coordinator (EHCCo) from the Early Years SEND team. The EHCCos will support you and your child's setting to regularly review the EHCP and plan for next steps. If you don't know who your EHC Coordinator is, contact the Early Years SEND duty line on 01442 453300, or email us on: EarlyYearsStatutorySend@hertfordshire.gov.uk.
Starting school, moving from primary to secondary, or going to college ("phase transfer")
If your child or young person is moving on to a different phase of education, the EHCP must be reviewed and amended.
All reviews, school consultations and amendments to an EHCP should be completed by 15 February for any year of change. This gives enough time to resolve any issues before the end of the summer term.
For those transferring from secondary school to college, the EHCP must be reviewed and amended by 31 March in the year of transfer.
After the review, the EHCP should state that the child or young person will continue to attend their current setting until the end of the academic year (or another date if different). In Section I, it should name the setting or the type of setting that they will attend from the start of the next academic year.
Changing schools in year for another reason
If you're moving or changing schools for any reason other than a phase transfer- i.e. you are relocating to a new area or you're considering moving to a special school- then this will also require a change to the EHCP and a review.
In these circumstances, we'll (Hertfordshire County Council) need to consult with the new school so that they can be named in the EHCP. You should contact your EHC Coordinator to discuss this.
Who should I contact about my child's EHCP?
Preparing for adulthood Year 9 and beyond
Once your child reaches year 9, annual review becomes an opportunity to discuss what they would like to achieve as they grow up.
The focus of the review should become more about how they will be supported to learn the skills they need for adulthood, and the provisions in the plan that can help them to do that.
If your child hasn’t attended reviews in the past, you might like to think about how they could be involved in the meetings, and how they can share their views on their dreams, wishes and aspirations for adulthood.
You might hear the term “transition planning” around this time, and annual reviews from this point should be thinking about how to help your young person to successfully move into adulthood as independently as their needs allow; including thinking about what they want to be able to do when they leave post-16 education.
If your young person has special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and attends a special school, a Personal Adviser from the Services for Young People SEND team will be involved in the Year 9 EHCP review, working closely with your family and the school to identify appropriate support as your young person prepare for adulthood. If your child attends a special school and hasn’t yet had support from a personal advisor with their preparing for adulthood review, you can contact the SfYP SEND team about this. If your child is in a mainstream setting, they can be supported by a Personal Adviser within the local area team, who will attend their Year 9 annual review and will write a Preparing for Adulthood (PfA) transition plan. Please visit the Services for Young People website for contact details of your local area team.
If your child or young person is aged 16+ and at college, they will have a named EHC Coordinator from the Services for Young Person SEND team. If you're not sure who this is, you can contact them at ServicesforYoungPeopleStatutorySend@hertfordshire.gov.uk.
Some young people with EHCPs may need longer in education or training in order to achieve their outcomes and make an effective transition into adulthood. This is something we'll take into consideration at annual reviews for young people aged 19-25.
Early Reviews
In some cases, an early review might be necessary. You can ask for an early review at any time - as long as you have a good reason.
This might include:
- your child or young person’s education, health or social care needs have changed, or are no longer accurately described in the EHCP
- the education, health or social care provision in the EHCP is no longer meeting your child or young person’s needs
- you are relocating to a new area
- your child or young person has been excluded from school or is considered to be at risk of exclusion.
If you believe there's an urgent need for a change to your child or young person’s EHCP you should ask for a review to be arranged as soon as possible. If your child or young person attends school or college you should speak to the SENCO or the person responsible for SEND. If your child does not attend an educational setting speak to your EHC Coordinator.
Who should I contact about my child's EHCP?
The EHCP review process