An Education, Health and Care Plan gets reviewed every year — and the review has a real structure most parents only learn by attending one.
Every area of need in an EHCP falls into one of four categories, and the whole review is organised around them:
Each outcome in the plan sits under one of these, and each gets reviewed the same way every year: what was the outcome we agreed on, what progress was actually made, what support was provided to get there, what changes are needed, and what's the suggested outcome for next year. Once you recognise that loop, the meeting stops feeling unpredictable.
You'll usually be sent a contribution booklet ahead of the meeting. It's not paperwork to get out of the way — it's the single biggest lever you have over how the meeting actually goes, because your answers become discussion points on the day. It typically asks:
Once a child is old enough, review meetings add a forward-looking section covering five areas: learning and development (courses, next steps in education), employment (aspirations, work experience), independent living (travel, cooking, daily skills), community inclusion (clubs, local activities, friendships), and health. This is where post-school planning actually starts — often years before it feels urgent, which is exactly the point.
Every review should end with a short list of actions — who's doing what, by when. If the meeting ends without concrete actions and owners, ask for them before you leave, or follow up in writing within a day or two while it's fresh. Reviews that don't produce clear next steps tend to just repeat the same conversation the following year.