Section B: Special Educational Needs
- Does the EHCP still accurately describe all of the child or young person’s needs?
- Have new needs emerged?
- Is old information still accurate?
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What Is an EHCP Annual Review?
If your child or young person has an Education, Health and Care Plan, commonly known as an EHCP, you will regularly hear about their Annual Review.
But an Annual Review is more than simply a meeting with the school.
It is a statutory process for looking at whether the EHCP still accurately reflects the child or young person’s needs, whether the provision is working and whether anything needs to change.
In a recent video on our Education Law TikTok channel, Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner at Watkins Solicitors, explains what families should expect from the process.
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Book on EventbriteWhat Is an EHCP Annual Review?
Beverley Watkins explains what an EHCP Annual Review is, what should be considered and why it is much more than simply an annual meeting.
Video by Beverley Watkins, Managing Partner at Watkins Solicitors.
How Often Should an EHCP Be Reviewed?
A local authority must review an EHCP at least every 12 months.
The purpose is to consider the child or young person’s progress towards the outcomes in their plan and whether those outcomes, their needs and the provision being made remain appropriate.
For some children, the timetable will be different in a Phase Transfer year because the EHCP must be reviewed and amended in time for the statutory school or college placement deadline.
What Should an Annual Review Look At?
The Annual Review should consider the whole EHCP rather than simply asking whether the child is happy at school.
Section F: Special Educational Provision
- Is the support written into the EHCP still appropriate?
- Is it actually being delivered?
- Does it remain sufficient to meet the needs identified in Section B?
Outcomes
- What progress has been made towards the outcomes in the EHCP?
- Do those outcomes remain appropriate, or are new outcomes needed?
School or College Placement
- Does the current placement remain suitable?
- Can it continue to meet the child or young person’s needs and deliver the provision required by the EHCP?
The statutory review process specifically requires consideration of progress, outcomes and whether changes are needed to the EHCP.
Does the EHCP Have to Change Every Year?
Not necessarily.
There may be years where the existing EHCP remains accurate and no significant amendment is required.
However, the Annual Review should actively consider whether changes are necessary. It should not simply roll the same plan forward without properly looking at the child’s current circumstances.
If a child’s needs, progress, professional recommendations or educational situation have changed but the EHCP remains exactly the same year after year, it may be worth asking whether the plan still accurately reflects them.
Why Is the Annual Review Important?
Children and young people develop, and their educational needs can change considerably over time.
An EHCP written several years ago may no longer describe the child or young person’s current needs, therapies, level of support, professional recommendations, appropriate outcomes or the right educational placement.
The Annual Review is the formal opportunity to bring this information together and consider whether the EHCP needs to be updated.
The Meeting Is Only One Part of the Process
Although people often use Annual Review to mean the meeting itself, legally the review is a wider process.
1
Information Is Gathered
Relevant information and views should be brought together before the Annual Review meeting.
2
The Annual Review Meeting Takes Place
The meeting considers progress, needs, provision, outcomes and whether changes to the EHCP may be required.
3
Recommendations Are Recorded
The outcome of the meeting and any recommended changes should be recorded after the meeting.
4
The Local Authority Makes a Decision
The local authority must then decide whether it will maintain, amend or cease to maintain the EHCP.
How Can Watkins Solicitors Help?
Annual Reviews are an important opportunity to make sure an EHCP continues to provide meaningful protection for a child or young person.
Watkins Solicitors has a specialist, multi-award-winning Education Law team supporting families with EHCPs, Annual Reviews, school placements, provision and 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 review the EHCP and supporting evidence before an Annual Review, help identify amendments that may be needed and advise on the next steps if the local authority later refuses to make changes.
Concerned About an Upcoming EHCP Annual Review?
If your child has an upcoming Annual Review or you are concerned that their EHCP no longer reflects their needs, our specialist Education Law team can advise you on the plan, supporting evidence and possible next steps.
Watch the Video and Get Support
The full video, featuring Beverley Watkins answering this parent question, is available above and on our Education Law TikTok channel.
If your child has an upcoming Annual Review or you are concerned that their EHCP no longer reflects their needs, contact our Education Law team on 0117 939 0350 or email education@watkinssolicitors.co.uk.
Education Law TikTok
Our Education Law TikTok features short videos from the Watkins Solicitors Education Law team answering common questions about EHCPs, SEND provision, school placements, Annual Reviews and SEND Tribunal appeals.
Follow @watkinssolicitors.sen for practical explanations from our specialist team and to see our latest SEND and Education Law videos.