What an EHCP is and when to request one

An EHCP sets out a child's needs and the provision that must be made for them. It is legally enforceable in a way that school-level support is not.

When to consider requesting one

If a child's needs are not being met by the support the school can provide from its own budget, and progress remains very limited despite targeted interventions, a request is reasonable.

How the process works

The request is usually made to the local authority, often by the school but parents can request directly. The authority decides within six weeks whether to assess, and the whole process should take no longer than twenty weeks.

What parents can do

• Gather reports, including from any private assessments.
• Write down what your child can and cannot do, in plain words.
• Ask the school whether they have already used their notional SEN budget.

Independent advice is available free from local SEND information services — use it.