At least once every 12 months by law - and every three to six months for a child under five. After the review meeting the council has four weeks to decide whether to keep, amend or end the plan.
The legal minimum: every 12 months
Once your child has an EHC plan, the council that maintains it has to review it at least once every 12 months. This is set out in section 44 of the Children and Families Act 2014 and repeated in the SEND Code of Practice (para 9.166). The first review must happen within 12 months of the plan first being made, and then within 12 months of the last review. One thing parents often miss: the clock runs from the date of the last review, not from a fixed calendar anniversary or the date the plan was first issued.
Under fives: every three to six months
For a child under five the Code recommends more frequent reviews - at least every three to six months (para 9.178). These do not replace the annual review; they sit on top of it, so that support keeps pace with how fast very young children change. IPSEA sets out the same position in its guidance on annual reviews.
What happens after the review meeting
The meeting itself is not the end of the process. After the review meeting the council must write to you with its decision - to keep the plan as it is, amend it, or end it - within four weeks (regulation 20 of the SEND Regulations 2014). If the council decides to amend the plan, there are further deadlines, and you have a right of appeal to the SEND Tribunal over the final amended plan. Our sibling answers explain what the LA's duty is at an annual review and how long the LA has to issue an amended EHCP afterwards.
You do not have to wait a full year
Twelve months is the maximum gap, not a lock. You can ask for an early (or interim) review at any point if your child's needs or circumstances change significantly:
- A parent or young person can request an early review in writing, giving the reason.
- The school or setting can call for one - for example if the provision in the plan no longer matches what the child needs.
- The council can bring a review forward of its own accord, and must do so where it would be unreasonable to wait.
An early review does not guarantee the plan will change, but it does force the council to look again rather than leaving an out-of-date plan in place for months. If the plan is ended after a review, you can appeal that too - see can an EHCP be taken away from my child.
Where the law comes from
Related
This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.