EDUCATION
LAW SERVICE
Annual Review
A child or young person’s EHCP may need to be reviewed and/or revised over time as needs may change and the provision to meet changing needs may also need to be reconsidered and revised.
In relation to children under 5, reviews should be carried out three - six monthly (although in practice this does not appear to happen). Otherwise annual reviews should take place every 12 months. In practice, the annual review is carried out by the school, who then report back to the Local Authority.
The 12 months period starts from when the plan is first made and then every 12 months from when it was last reviewed.
In certain circumstances, it may be possible to request an interim or emergency review, as opposed to waiting until the next review date.
The purpose of a review is to:
- gather and assess information so that it can be used by early years settings, schools or colleges to support the child or young person’s progress and their access to teaching and learning;
- review the special educational provision made for the child or young person to ensure it is being effective in ensuring access to teaching and learning and good progress;
- review the health and social care provision made for the child or young person and its effectiveness in ensuring good progress towards outcomes;
- consider the continuing appropriateness of the EHC plan in the light of the child or young person’s progress during the previous year or changed circumstances and whether changes are required including any changes to outcomes, enhanced provision, change of educational establishment or whether the EHC plan should be discontinued;
- set new interim targets for the coming year and where appropriate, agree new outcomes; and
- review any interim targets set by the early years provider, school or college or other education provider.
The Local Authority must:
- consult the child and the child’s parents or the young person, and take account of their views, wishes and feelings;
- consider the child or young person’s progress towards achieving the outcomes specified in the EHC plan and whether these outcomes remain appropriate for the child or young person;
- consult the school or other institution attended by the child or young person.
A meeting must be held to carry out the review. The child’s parent or young person must be invited, the headteacher of the school, a SENAR officer, a relevant healthcare professional, and an officer from Children’s Services (also known as Social Services).
The purpose of the review is to allow the Local Authority to make a decision on continuing the plan in its current form, amending it, or ceasing it (i.e. ending the EHCP). The Local Authority must communicate this decision within four weeks of the review.
The above is a general outline in relation to Annual Reviews, if you require advice and assistance or representation in connection with an Annual Review, or a decision arising from the Annual Review, please contact us on a no obligation basis to see how we can help.
