Steps in the annual review process

There are 5 steps in the annual review process.

Step 1: gathering advice and information

Your child or young person's nursery, school or college will often arrange and host the review meeting.

They will ask for information and advice from you and people who work with your child or young person. This could be a teaching assistant, a speech and language therapist, a specialist advisory teacher or a GP.

They will also ask for an update on progress towards outcomes in the EHCP and help set the new targets for the coming year.

Step 2: information and invitations sent out ahead of the review

The meeting host will send out the invitations and all the information they have gathered 2 weeks before the meeting.

This is so everyone has enough time to read and understand what will be discussed.

Step 3: the review meeting

You, your child or young person and their families should be fully involved and able to share your views, wishes and feelings.

The meeting will look at the progress your child or young person is making and plan for what needs to happen in the coming year.

Step 4: written report after the meeting

Two weeks after the meeting, the host must send out a written report to everyone involved. This should include:

• details of the discussions of the meeting
• any suggested changes to an EHCP

Step 5: the next steps

Once we have received the report, we will make one of these decisions to:

• leave the plan as it is
• change the plan
• cease (also known as stop) the plan, where a child or young person has met their educational outcomes

We will write to you within 4 weeks of the review meeting.

If your child or young person's EHCP changes, we will send you the original plan with the suggested changes.

You have 15 days to respond to the updated plan, explaining if you agree, disagree or propose other changes.

We will issue a final EHCP within 8 weeks of sending the suggested changes.