This guide covers England. The system is different in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It is general information, not legal or individual SEND advice.
What the annual review is for
The annual review checks whether the EHC plan still describes your child's needs accurately, whether the support is right, and whether the outcomes in it are still the right ones. Children change. A plan written two years ago may no longer fit. The review is the moment to make sure the document matches the child in front of everyone, not the child they were when it was drafted.
An EHC plan must be reviewed at least every 12 months. The clock runs from when the plan was finalised, and then from the date of each review after that.
For a child under five, the local authority should consider reviewing the plan more often, at least every three to six months, so that the support keeps up with how quickly young children change.
Before the meeting
The review usually centres on a meeting, which the school normally arranges on the local authority's behalf. Beforehand, the people involved are asked for their advice and information, and this should be gathered and shared with everyone invited ahead of the meeting, so that no one is reading things for the first time in the room.
This is your window to prepare. You know your child better than anyone at that table, and your view carries real weight. It helps to think through, and write down, a few things in advance:
- What has gone well this year, and what has not
- Whether the support in the plan is actually happening in practice
- How your child is progressing towards the outcomes in the plan
- Anything that has changed, at school or at home
- What you want the plan to say going forward
At the meeting
The meeting brings together the people who support your child, to look at how things are going and what should change. Your child's own views should be part of it too, in whatever way works for them. Afterwards, the school prepares and circulates a report of the meeting to the local authority and everyone who was invited.
After the review, the local authority must decide one of three things: to keep the plan as it is, to amend it, or to cease it if it believes the plan is no longer necessary. It must tell you its decision within four weeks of the meeting.
If it decides to amend the plan, it sends you the proposed changes as a draft. You have at least 15 days to comment, and the final amended plan should be issued within 12 weeks of the review meeting.
Watch the wording, not just the meeting
This is where families are sometimes caught out. A meeting can feel positive and warm, and yet the changes that come afterwards can water down the support. So when a draft amended plan arrives, read it carefully against what was actually agreed. The parts that matter most are the sections describing the needs and the specific support, because those are what carry legal weight. Vague wording is much weaker than precise wording.
If you disagree with the outcome
You have real rights here. If the plan is amended, or the local authority decides to cease it, you can appeal to the SEND Tribunal, and you also have a right to mediation. Do not treat a decision you disagree with as the final word. Note the dates on any decision letter, because appeal deadlines apply, and get advice quickly if you are unsure.
By the time an annual review comes round, you may have a year of reports, emails, targets and notes scattered everywhere. The professionals in the room do this constantly. You are trying to hold a whole year in your head while also making the case for your child.
AI is good at exactly that kind of information work. It can help you pull the year together, prepare what you want to say, and check a draft plan closely against what was agreed. It does not replace an adviser, and it should not be the one deciding whether the plan is right.
What AI could help with
- Turn a year of notes into a clear summary for the review
- Draft the points you want to raise, and questions to ask
- Compare a draft amended plan against your notes of what was agreed
- Flag where support wording looks vague rather than specific
- Summarise long reports into plain English before the meeting
- Help you write a calm response to a draft you disagree with
Do not assume a timescale, legal test or quotation AI gives you is correct, and do not rely on it to decide whether to accept or challenge a plan. It can invent rules, dates and references while sounding sure. Use AI to organise your own information and understand the process. Use official guidance and qualified people for the legal position, and always check your own letters for the real dates.
A better way to prompt it
That puts AI to work on the reading and comparing, which it is genuinely good at, while the judgement about your child's plan stays with you and the people advising you.
Where to get proper help
- Your local SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS)
- IPSEA (Independent Provider of Special Education Advice), for free legally-based advice on reviews and appeals
- Your child's SENCO, for the practical detail of the review
- The SEND Tribunal, if you need to appeal an amended plan or a decision to cease
- EHCP Expert, to help guide you through the review process
Sources, checked 16 September 2026
- IPSEA: The annual review process (12-month reviews, three outcomes, four-week decision, draft amendments, 12-week final plan, appeal and mediation)
- GOV.UK: Extra help (what an EHC plan is, disagreeing with a decision, appeals)
- GOV.UK: SEND Code of Practice, 0 to 25 years (statutory guidance on reviews, including under-fives)
This guide is general information for England, not legal or individual SEND advice. Timescales and duties can depend on your child's circumstances and can change. Check your own review documents and the current official guidance, and get advice for your own situation.
Common questions
How often must an EHC plan be reviewed?
At least every 12 months. For a child under 5, the local authority should consider reviewing it at least every three to six months.
What are the three possible outcomes of a review?
After the review the local authority can decide to keep the plan as it is, to amend it, or to cease it if it thinks the plan is no longer necessary.
How quickly must the local authority tell me its decision?
Within four weeks of the review meeting. If it decides to amend the plan, the final amended plan should be issued within 12 weeks of the meeting.
What if I disagree with the outcome?
If the plan is amended or the local authority decides to cease it, you can appeal to the SEND Tribunal, and you also have a right to mediation. IPSEA and your local SENDIASS can help.