Education Health & Care Plans (EHCP) - Annual Review Process

Reading SEND Local Offer

This page explains the EHCP - Annual Review Process.

The Council for Disabled Children (CDC) has produced this short animation to explain the Annual review process.

Information about Annual Reviews can be found in the SEND Code of Practice (2015) 9.166 – 9.185.

Updated - October 2023

How an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan is reviewed?

An EHC plan is reviewed through the Annual Review process. The child or young person and family is at the centre of the Annual Review and should be involved in the discussion and decisions as much as possible.  The review considers:

  • What progress has been made towards the agreed outcomes in the EHC plan
  •  Whether any changes / amendments may be required to the content of the EHC plan
  • Whether a personal budget is being reviewed or requested
  •  Whether an EHC plan is still needed or have the agreed outcomes now been met

The Annual Review process must be completed within 12 months of the date when the EHC Plan or the date the last Annual Review was completed.

If your child is under 5, the EHC Plan should be reviewed at least every three to six months to ensure that the provision continues to be appropriate.


What must happen before the Annual Review meeting?
  • The Local Authority must notify the setting, school or college of any annual reviews that will be due in the following academic term. This will allow time for the setting, school or college to prepare for the Annual Review and ensure all parties are notified in good time.
  • About eight weeks before the meeting the setting, school or college will write to you to co-ordinate a date for the Annual Review meeting and request your views on progress that your child is making so that this can inform the meeting. The views of your child will also be sought about what is going well and what could be improved in relation to progress towards outcomes in the EHC plan.
  • Professionals who are working with you child will also be requested to submit reports for the annual review (e.g. Speech Therapist) and will be invited to attend the annual review meeting. The school will circulate reports received prior to the meeting so that you have time to review these reports.
At the Annual Review meeting

  • You, your child or young person and those working with your child/young person will be invited to take part in the meeting. The setting/school /college will usually chair the meeting and a representative of the Local Authority may also be present.
  • At this meeting the EHC plan shall be discussed and progress towards outcomes in the plan shall be reviewed.
  • You will have the opportunity to discuss what progress has been made towards the outcomes in the EHC plan over the last year both in and out of the setting/school/college, and if any changes/updates need to be made to the plan.
  • Any suggested changes will be recorded and sent to the Local Authority along with the reports that have informed the meeting.
What happens after the meeting?

  • The report of the meeting and supporting documents must be sent to the Local Authority within two weeks.
  • The Local Authority has four weeks from the date of the meeting to decide if any changes will need to be made to the EHC plan. The Local Authority is required to notify you if this is the case. If no changes are required or if the Local Authority decides that the EHC plan can be ceased it is must notify you of this fact as well.
  • If the Local Authority has decided to make changes to an EHC plan, then a draft Amended EHC plan must be issued to you within eight weeks of the meeting.
  • This is your opportunity to review and agree the changes or request further amendments.
  • The Local Authority will review any requested changes and may or may not include these in the amended EHC plan.
  • Once the Annual review process is concluded, the  parent/carer/or  young person over 16 has a right to contest any decision through the tribunal process as outlined  in the Local Offer :  Disagreements, Mediation, Tribunals and Appeals
What is the role of a SENCo?

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Related Advice

Education Health & Care Plans (EHCP)

Page last reviewed: 19/02/2024

Contact the Team

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