Annual Review of an Education Health and Care Plan

When a child or young person with an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) is set to transition between educational phases, for example, Year 6 to Year 7, referred to as a secondary transfer, a specific form of review known as a phased transfer review must take place. This addresses the challenges of ensuring continuity and suitability of support during these critical milestones, ensuring that settings that are being consulted have the most up to date information relating to a child's needs, provision and outcomes and also so that enhanced transition to meet the individual needs of each child can be planned in a timely manner.

What is a phased transfer review and why is it necessary?

A phased transfer review ensures the EHCP is updated to reflect the child's needs and the setting they're moving to. It helps:

• confirm ongoing suitability of provision as the child enters a new educational environment
• ensure appropriate placement and support can be secured in good time
• assist families and settings in making informed choices for the next phase

The Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Regulations 2014 (Regulation 18) require that when moving between phases, the EHCP must be reviewed and amended in advance by 15 February for transitions such as, nursery to primary and primary to secondary, or by 31 March for secondary to post‑16 transfers of the academic year of transfer.

This means that the annual reviews for the children and young people who are due to change their educational setting in the September of the next academic year, should have their annual review undertaken in the Autumn Term that year, despite when the annual review may be due in its usual annual cycle.

Where possible, schools, settings and parents may decide to bring these reviews forward to the end of the Summer Term. Undertaking these reviews earlier allows schools, parents, and the Local Authority significantly more time to plan transition arrangements, secure appropriate placements, engage with receiving settings, and ensure any required assessments or consultations can be completed in good time. Early review also reduces the risk of delays, avoids decision making being compressed into statutory deadlines, and ensures that the child or young person enters their new setting with the necessary support already mapped and agreed.

Which transitions trigger a phased transfer review?

This review process applies to children and young people moving from:

• early years to reception
• primary to secondary school
• secondary school to post‑16 education
• any other within phase movement, such as between all-through settings

Children in Nursery (-1), Year 5 or Year 6, Year 11, or Year 13 are typical cohorts where a phased transfer review becomes necessary.

Impact on the annual review cycle

The phased transfer review replaces the regular annual review and is scheduled earlier in the academic year. Draft amended plans and preference forms are generally issued in late Summer or early Autumn, this is for the parents to choose the preferences they wish to ask the Local Authority to consult with for a school placement. This adjustment ensures planning aligns with admission timelines and reduces the risk of placement delays.

How is a phased transfer review initiated?

The child or young person's current educational setting arranges the review meeting (often during the summer term before transfer), in consultation with the local authority. Invites are issued to parents, the young person, current and prospective providers, and all relevant professionals. Updated advice and reports inform discussions at the meeting about placement options, outcomes, and support needs. The local authority then:

• drafts and issues the amended EHCP by 15 February or 31 March, depending on the transition phase
• consults with requested settings, allowing 15 days for response as required by the SEND Code of Practice (para 9.78-9.79)
• finalises the EHCP, naming the agreed setting for the next phase

Summary

Phased transfer reviews are a statutory safeguard, not a discretionary option, designed to:

• ensure timely planning for placement
• provide a clear route for including parental preference
• secure appropriate provision before the start of the new phase

They bring forward the annual review cycle to align with admission deadlines and avoid leaving children without the support they need during pivotal transitions.