Annual Review of an Education Health and Care Plan

The annual review meeting is a structured discussion where everyone involved considers the child or young person's progress and whether the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) remains appropriate. However, the meeting is not the annual review itself or the point at which decisions about the EHCP are made. Instead, the meeting serves as an information‑gathering and consultation stage that informs the Local Authority's formal decision making.

In law, the Local Authority (LA) must review the EHCP after the meeting and issue its formal decision within four weeks, stating whether it will maintain the plan as it is, amend it, or cease it. It is at this point, when the LA issues that decision, that the annual review is considered completed, and the statutory outcome of the process is determined.

Who leads the meeting?

The school must lead the meeting, ideally chaired by the SENCo or another designated member of staff responsible for coordinating annual reviews who knows the child or young person well.

Where children are Electively Home Educated, have an Education Other Than At School (EOTAS) package or are not in Education, Employment or Training, the SEND Service at the local authority will organise and hold the annual review meetings.

A qualified teacher should be present to provide educational input and context.

Recording the meeting

The meeting should be recorded using the Record of Annual Review Meeting form (known as the AR1 form). This is not a verbatim transcript but a clear summary of:

• main discussion points
• changes to the EHCP in Section A to J
• views expressed by parents, professionals, and the child
• any requests made for the Local Authority to consider
• a recommended outcome (for example, amend the EHCP, cease the EHCP, or make no changes)

This recommendation is advisory only. The Local Authority makes the final decision on what is the outcome of the annual review based on the information submitted.

Role of the SEND Caseworker or LA Officer in attendance

The Local Authority caseworker contributes to the annual review process by offering advice and guidance on statutory requirements and supporting schools to ensure the review is carried out in line with legal expectations. While caseworkers may attend annual review meetings where their presence would add value, attendance at every review is not a statutory requirement, and it is not always possible or necessary for the LA to be represented in person at each meeting.

To ensure that LA attendance is used effectively, we meet with SENCOs at the start of every term to review upcoming annual reviews and jointly identify which meetings would most benefit from caseworker presence.

This approach allows the LA to prioritise attendance where significant changes to provision may be required, or where additional professional support would help facilitate the review process, while ensuring all other reviews still proceed within statutory timescales.

It is not within the remit of the role to make decisions about any requests to the Local Authority, and they do not take detailed minutes of the meeting as there should be one official record, completed and submitted by the school.

Deciding on changes to the EHCP

In Stockton on Tees, the process is transparent and collaborative:

• proposed changes are made live during the meeting, displayed on screen
• additions are shown in bold text for ease of reading, and any proposed deletions are marked with strikethrough, an example of which is available to view in this guidance
• references for changes should be noted, citing reports or professional opinions to ensure that the requests for changes to Section B-H are appropriately evidenced based.

This approach ensures clarity and shared understanding among all participants.

Proposed agenda of the meeting

Below is a summary of a proposed running order of the meeting, to ensure all relevant points are captured within the allocated time.

• welcome and introductions.
• the person who is leading the agenda of the meeting, either the SENCo or review coordinator, will clarify process and purpose of the annual review meeting
• review Sections A to J of the EHCP, considering:
   
  • child and parent views
  • professional reports
  • progress against outcomes and whether the outcomes remain appropriate for the child or young person
  • discuss proposed changes, making live edits where appropriate
  • capture all views and requests on the record form
  • if a child or young person is in or beyond Year 9, consider what provision is required to assist the child or young person in preparation for adulthood and independent living
     
• agree a recommended outcome for submission to the Local Authority
• summarise next steps and timescales

Child or young persons involvement

Involving the child or young person is good practice and strongly encouraged. Their participation should be considered on a case-by-case basis, considering age, needs, and preferences. Where direct attendance is not appropriate, their views must still be gathered and shared during the meeting to ensure that the voice of the child or young person is the focus of the discussion and recommendations made.

Key principles

The key principles are:

• meetings must be person-centred, focusing on outcomes and aspirations
• all statutory duties under Children and Families Act 2014, Section 44 and SEND Regulations 2014 (Regulations 18-21) apply
• the process should be transparent, inclusive, and evidence based and meet the statutory requirements set out for annual reviews