Annual reviews

What’s an annual review?

Every year, EHC plans are checked to make sure they are up to date. Children under 5 should have their plan reviewed every six months.

The review looks at whether the child or young person’s needs have changed. Maybe they don’t need a plan anymore. Maybe new needs have appeared. If needs have changed, the support they need might need to change.

Whether needs and support have changed or not, new goals should be set for the coming year. Sometimes, longer-term goals will need to be changed as well.

Who comes to a review?

Reviews normally happen at a school or college. It can happen somewhere else if that makes it easier, or if the child or young person isn’t in school or college.

The school invites parents/carers, someone from the SEND team, health and social care teams, and other professionals who work with the child or young person.

Not everyone always comes to the review meetings, but everyone who is helping make the plan work should be there or send a report.

What happens next?

The school’s SENDCo, or someone else who knows all about the plan, has 2 weeks to send a report of the meeting to the SEND team and everyone else involved.

The report should explain any changes people at the meeting agreed should be done. If not everyone agreed, it should say why.

We then have four weeks to decide whether to keep the EHC plan as it is, make changes or end the plan. We will write to the parent/carers, the school or college, to let them know what we’ve decided.

Here are some documents used to prepare for an annual review: