Support in education

Annual reviews

An annual review is a yearlyprocesswhere everyone involved looks at a child’s Education,Healthand Care Plan (EHCP) to check if the support is working and whether anything needs to change. Parents, teachers, the SENCO, and other professionals share updates about how the child is doing and what progress they have made. The review helps to make sure the plan still matches the child’s needs and that the right support is in place for the yearahead.

What schools must do

• organise the meeting ingood time
• provide at least 2 weeks’ notice
• circulate reports 2 weeks before
• record child and family views
• review progress and outcomes
• recommend whether tomaintain, amend or cease the plan
• send the review report to the Local Authority within 2 weeks

Local Authority responsibilities

Within 4 weeks of the review meeting, the LA must decide to:

• maintain the EHCP
• amend it
• cease it

If amending:

• draft amendments shared within 2 weeks
• final EHCP issued within 8 weeks

It is the local authority’s duty to review an EHCP every year, not to amend it every year.The purpose of the annual review is to check how well the plan is working and whether the child’s needs or circumstances have changed. In most cases, the EHCP will stay the same because many children’s needsremainstable over time, and the support in place continues to beappropriate. Amendments are only needed when the child’s needs, outcomes, or provision have clearly changed and the current plan no longer reflects what theyrequire. The annual review is therefore a chance to reflect and update understanding, not a guarantee that the plan itself will be rewritten each year.

Phase transfers

A phase transfer ensures the EHCP reflects the child’s needs when moving into a new stage of education.

Key transition points

• Early Years to Year 1
• Year 2 to Year 3(infants to juniors)
• Year 6 to Year 7
• Year 9 (preparation for adulthood)
• Year 11 to post‑16
• post‑18 where appropriate

Key deadlines

• Primary to secondary: final plan by15 February
• Year 2 to Year 3:15 February
• Post16: final plan by31 March

Choosing a school or college

Parents and young people can express a preference.

The LAmust also consider:

• suitability
• impact on others
• efficient use of public funds

More information on schools in Stoke-on-Trent can be found here: Education – Local Offer