EHCP Annual Review

Anyone who works with your child or young person may attend the meeting; however, it is most important that parent carers and the child or young person are given the opportunity to attend the Annual Review.

Professionals who may attend include:

• Class Teacher
• Teaching Assistant
• SENCo/Key Worker
• SEND professionals
• Careers professionals
• Health professionals
• Social care professionals

Before the meeting, the SENCo (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) collects as much helpful information as possible. This includes your thoughts and experiences as a parent carer, your child’s views, insights from teachers or nursery staff, and any reports from health or social care professionals. Gathering these different perspectives helps everyone better understand your child’s needs and ensures the meeting stays focused on putting the right support in place.

At least two weeks before the meeting, invitations are sent to parent carers, the child or young person, and other potential attendees.

Annual Review meetings are all about you and your child. They are person-centred, which means you, your child, and your family’s views, feelings, and wishes are at the heart of the process. These meetings give everyone a chance to talk openly about what is working well and what could be better. You can celebrate progress, share any worries, and discuss your hopes for the future. Together with the team, you’ll help decide what support is needed and plan the next steps for the coming year.

 Here are some of the important things you’ll have the chance to talk about during the meeting:

• Together, we’ll start by celebrating your child’s progress since the last meeting. Every step forward matters, whether it’s something big or a small success. This is your chance to share proud moments, talk about what’s worked well, and reflect on the support, strategies, or people who have helped your child along the way. Recognising these achievements can boost your child’s confidence and remind everyone of their strengths.
• We’ll look at the goals set during your last meeting and see if they still match your child’s current needs and interests. If things have changed, we can adjust the goals or set new ones together. This way, your child’s goals always feel relevant, motivating, and achievable. Your input is important in making sure these goals suit your child and your family.
• We’ll also check in on any smaller, short-term targets your child has been working towards. These might be little steps that help reach bigger goals. Together, we’ll decide if these targets need to change or if new ones should be set, making sure your child is always moving forward at a pace that feels comfortable and encouraging.
• We’ll talk about all the support your child is getting at school or nursery—like extra help in class, specialist teaching, or adjustments to the environment. If anything isn’t working as well as it could, this is a safe space to share those concerns. Together, we’ll come up with ideas or changes that could make a real difference for your child.
• We’ll also chat about any extra help your child receives from health professionals (such as speech and language therapists or occupational therapists) or social care services. If your child is receiving this kind of support, we’ll check if it’s still making a positive difference. If there’s something new your child needs, or if services could be better, we’ll discuss how to make those improvements happen.
• We’ll take some time to talk about your child’s hopes, dreams, and new interests. Maybe they’ve discovered a passion for sports, want to join a club, or are curious about something new. Sharing these aspirations helps us understand what motivates your child and how we can work together to support these goals, both at home and in their learning environment. Your family’s wishes and ideas are an important part of this conversation.
• We can also talk about personal budgets. A personal budget is money that you can use to arrange some of the support your child needs, giving you more choice and control. We’ll explain how a personal budget works, what it can be used for, and help you decide if it could make life easier or more flexible for your family.

The education setting will forward all Annual Review paperwork and reports to everyone who was invited to the meeting, as well as to the Local Authority, within two weeks of the meeting taking place.

The Local Authority will then decide whether the EHCP should be maintained, amended, or ceased. They must inform the parent carer of their decision no later than four weeks after the meeting.