How Should Parents Prepare for an Upcoming SEND Tribunal Hearing?

An upcoming SEND Tribunal hearing can feel daunting, particularly if you have spent months gathering evidence and trying to resolve disagreements about your child’s Education, Health and Care Plan.

Good preparation can make the day itself much easier.

In a recent video on our Education Law TikTok channel, Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner at Watkins Solicitors, explains some of the practical things parents should check before their hearing.

Read the Tribunal bundle carefully

One of Beverley’s first recommendations is to check the hearing bundle.

The bundle contains the documents and evidence that the Tribunal will use when considering the appeal.

Do not assume that everything you submitted has automatically been included.

Check that important documents are there, including:

• Your Evidence.
• Professional Reports.
• Relevant Correspondence.
• Annual Review Documents Where Relevant.
• The EHCP And Its Appendices.
• Any Evidence About The Proposed School Or College.
• The Current Working Document Where The Appeal Concerns EHCP Contents.

Official Tribunal guidance makes clear that the local authority cannot simply choose which evidence from the parent to include and leave other parental evidence out of the bundle.

If something important appears to be missing, raise it as soon as possible and follow the directions in your case.

Be clear about what is still in dispute

By the time a case reaches the hearing, some issues may already have been agreed.

Make sure you understand exactly what the Tribunal still needs to decide.

Where an appeal concerns the contents of an EHCP, the working document should show the changes that have been agreed and the wording that remains disputed.

It can help to prepare a short list of the remaining issues so that you know what evidence supports your position on each one.

Make sure your witnesses are available

Think carefully about the issues that remain in dispute and which witnesses are needed to give evidence about them.

For example, if speech and language provision remains a significant issue and you are relying on recommendations from a speech and language therapist, consider whether that professional needs to attend the hearing to answer questions about their evidence.

The same may apply to an educational psychologist, occupational therapist or representative from a proposed school or college.

Witness details should be dealt with in accordance with the Tribunal’s directions and relevant case review paperwork. The Tribunal can also issue a witness summons in appropriate circumstances where a person’s attendance is essential.

Prepare practically for the hearing day

SEND Tribunal hearings can take place by video or in person. The Tribunal will tell you when and how your hearing will take place.

If your case has been listed for a full day, plan on the basis that you may need to be available for most or all of that day.

Beforehand:

• Arrange Childcare Or Other Caring Responsibilities If Needed.
• Make Sure You Have Easy Access To The Tribunal Bundle.
• Have Your Notes And List Of Outstanding Issues Ready.
• If Attending Remotely, Check Your Internet Connection, Camera And Microphone.
• Make Sure Your Witnesses Know When And How They Are Expected To Attend.
• Keep The Hearing Day Free Rather Than Assuming The Case Will Finish Early.

Hearings do not always run exactly to the timetable expected, so having practical arrangements in place can reduce unnecessary pressure.

Do not try to memorise the whole case

You do not need to remember every page of a large bundle.

What matters is knowing the key issues, understanding the evidence you rely on and being able to find important documents when they are discussed.

The Tribunal panel is independent and will ask questions about the issues it needs to determine. Parents attending a hearing can also present their case and ask questions.

How can Watkins Solicitors help?

Preparing for a SEND Tribunal hearing can involve substantial evidence, complex EHCP wording and difficult decisions about witnesses and placement.

Watkins Solicitors has a specialist, multi-award-winning Education Law team experienced in preparing and representing families in SEND Tribunal appeals.

Our Education team was named Team of the Year at the Bristol Law Society Awards 2025, alongside Watkins Solicitors being named Regional Law Firm of the Year.

We can help review the Tribunal bundle, identify outstanding issues, consider professional evidence, work through the EHCP working document and advise on preparation for the hearing itself.

If your hearing is approaching, it is better to seek advice early rather than discover shortly beforehand that important evidence or witnesses are missing.

Watch the video and get support

The full video, featuring Beverley Watkins answering this parent question, is available on our Education Law TikTok channel.

If you are preparing for an upcoming SEND Tribunal hearing and would like specialist advice or representation, contact our Education Law team on 0117 939 0350 or email education@watkinssolicitors.co.uk.