Your child's EHC plan stays in force when they move school and never lapses. Within the same council it is amended to name the new school; across councils it transfers, and the new council must deliver it straight away.
A move is not a reason for any council to re-assess, water down, or pause the support in the plan. What changes is the paperwork, and the steps depend on whether you are staying in the same local authority (the council) or moving into a new one.
Moving school within the same council
- Tell the council in writing which school you want. You have the right to ask for a particular school to be named in the plan, and the council must name it unless it would be unsuitable for your child or would harm the education of others or the efficient use of resources.
- The council consults the new school and then issues a draft amended plan naming it. The proposed school gets 15 days to respond to the consultation.
- The council issues the final amended plan. You keep the right to appeal the named school to the SEND Tribunal (the panel that decides EHC plan disputes) if you disagree with the placement it settles on.
Moving into a different council
Here the old council transfers the plan to the new one. It must do this on the day of the move, or within 15 working days of finding out about the move if it had less than 15 working days' notice. From that point the plan is treated as if the new council had made it, and that council must maintain it.
The new council has to deliver everything in the plan immediately, before any review or amendment. If the school named in the plan is no longer practicable, the new council must arrange a place at another suitable school until the plan is formally amended. It must then review the plan within whichever is later: 12 months from when the plan was made or last reviewed, or 3 months from the transfer.
The two moves side by side
| Same council | New council |
|---|---|
| Plan is amended to name the new school | Plan transfers in full and keeps running |
| You request the school; the council consults it | New council delivers the plan straight away |
| Final amended plan issued; you keep your appeal right | Review within 12 months of last review or 3 months of transfer, whichever is later |
If the support slips
If a council tells you the plan has to be re-done from scratch, or that support will pause until a new assessment, that is wrong. The legal position is set out in the SEND Regulations 2014 (regulation 15) and the Department for Education's 2024 guidance for councils. Put your concern in writing, quote the duty to maintain the plan, and ask for a date by which the provision will be in place.
It can also help to read how an EHCP transfers between councils and what to do if the wrong school is named.
Where the law comes from
- Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014, regulation 15 (transfer of an EHC plan between councils)
- Children and Families Act 2014, section 39 (naming a school at parental request)
- GOV.UK / Department for Education: guidance for local authorities on EHC plans when a child or young person moves area (2024)
- Scope: the school named in an EHC plan and how to change it
Related
This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.