What Schools Must Do Before an EHCP Request

Before an EHCP request is made, schools are usually expected to identify a child’s needs, provide appropriate SEN Support, review whether that support is working, and keep clear evidence of what has been tried.

This guide explains what schools should usually do before an Education, Health and Care needs assessment is requested, what parents can ask for, and when it may be appropriate to escalate toward an EHCP request.

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Independent information note: Find Support UK is an independent directory and information resource. This guide is intended to help families understand common SEND support pathways and does not provide legal, medical or educational advice.

What Should Happen Before an EHCP Request?

Many children and young people receive help through SEN Support without needing an EHCP. SEN Support is the support schools and colleges should provide when a child has special educational needs but does not have an Education, Health and Care Plan.

Before an EHCP request is made, a school should usually be able to show that it has:

  • identified the child’s needs
  • spoken with parents or carers
  • considered the child or young person’s views where appropriate
  • planned support or adjustments
  • put support in place
  • reviewed whether the support is working
  • kept records of concerns, actions and progress

This does not mean families must wait indefinitely before requesting an EHC needs assessment. If a child may need support beyond what the school can normally provide, an EHCP request may be appropriate even if school-based support is still being reviewed.

SEN Support in School

SEN Support is the usual first level of additional support for children and young people with special educational needs in mainstream schools and colleges.

SEN Support may include:

  • additional help in class
  • small group or targeted interventions
  • adapted teaching approaches
  • visual supports, communication tools or structured routines
  • support with literacy, numeracy or communication
  • social, emotional or mental health support
  • behaviour support strategies
  • advice from the SENCO or external professionals
  • regular review meetings with parents or carers

The exact support should depend on the child’s needs. It should not be limited to a generic intervention or a single worksheet-based programme if the child’s difficulties are broader or more complex.

Key point

SEN Support should be planned around the individual child. If the same support is repeated without progress, the school should review whether a different approach or further advice is needed.

The Graduated Approach: Assess, Plan, Do, Review

The SEND Code of Practice describes a graduated approach to SEN Support. This is often summarised as assess, plan, do, review.

Assess

The school should identify the child’s needs and consider information from teachers, parents, the child or young person, assessment data and any professionals involved.

This may include looking at:

  • learning progress
  • attendance
  • behaviour patterns
  • communication needs
  • sensory needs
  • social and emotional wellbeing
  • medical or developmental information
  • previous interventions and outcomes

Plan

The school should agree what support will be put in place, who will provide it, how often it will happen, and how progress will be measured.

Parents should usually be told what support is planned and how it will be reviewed.

Do

The planned support should then be delivered. Class teachers remain responsible for the child’s progress, even where teaching assistants, interventions or specialist staff are involved.

Review

The school should review whether the support has helped. If progress is limited, support may need to be changed, increased, or informed by further professional advice.

Reviews should not only ask whether an intervention happened. They should consider whether it made a meaningful difference.

Reasonable Adjustments

Some children and young people with SEND may also be disabled under the Equality Act. Where this applies, schools may need to make reasonable adjustments so that a disabled pupil is not placed at a substantial disadvantage.

Reasonable adjustments may include:

  • changes to routines or transitions
  • adapted seating or classroom positioning
  • access to quiet or low-arousal spaces
  • adjustments to communication style
  • extra processing time
  • changes to behaviour responses
  • modified homework or recording methods
  • support during unstructured times

Reasonable adjustments are not the same as an EHCP, but they can be an important part of the support picture. They may also provide evidence that a child’s needs are not being met through ordinary arrangements.

Evidence Schools Should Keep

Good evidence is important because EHCP decisions are based on need, provision and whether support can reasonably be provided without an EHCP.

Schools should usually be able to show:

  • what needs have been identified
  • what support has been tried
  • how often support was provided
  • who delivered the support
  • what progress was expected
  • what progress was actually made
  • what reviews took place
  • what parents or carers raised with school
  • whether external advice was requested
  • why any support was changed, stopped or continued

Useful records may include SEN Support plans, individual education plans, provision maps, review notes, behaviour logs, attendance records, assessment results, professional reports and communication with parents.

Key point

If support is informal and not recorded, it can be difficult for families to show what has been tried and whether it has worked. Parents can ask the school to confirm support arrangements in writing.

What Parents Can Ask For

Parents do not have to wait passively while concerns build. If a child is struggling, parents can ask the school for a clear explanation of what support is in place and how it is being reviewed.

Useful questions include:

  • Has my child been identified as receiving SEN Support?
  • What needs has the school identified?
  • What support is currently being provided?
  • How often is the support happening?
  • Who is responsible for delivering it?
  • How is progress being measured?
  • When will the support be reviewed?
  • Has the SENCO been involved?
  • Has external advice been considered?
  • What evidence would the school provide if an EHCP request is made?

Parents can also ask for copies of relevant records, including SEN Support plans, review notes, provision maps and assessment information.

When an EHCP Request May Be Appropriate

An EHCP request may be appropriate where a child or young person may need support beyond what is normally available through SEN Support.

This may include situations where:

  • the child is making limited progress despite targeted support
  • needs are complex, long-term or affect several areas of development
  • school support is not enough to meet identified needs
  • external professional advice suggests more structured support is needed
  • the child needs provision that is difficult to deliver from ordinary school resources
  • there are significant attendance, anxiety, communication or behaviour concerns linked to unmet need
  • there is disagreement about the level of support required

Parents, young people over compulsory school age, schools and some other professionals can request an EHC needs assessment from the local authority.

A school does not have to agree before a parent can request an assessment. However, school evidence can be helpful because it shows what has been tried and why additional support may be needed.

Need more detailed EHCP guidance?
Read the main SEND & EHCP Support in the UK guide.

SEND Reform Context

The direction of SEND reform places increasing emphasis on earlier support, clearer mainstream inclusion expectations, and better planning before needs escalate.

For families, it is important to separate current law from proposed future reform. EHCPs still exist under current law, and families can still request an EHC needs assessment where a child or young person may need more support than is normally available through SEN Support.

Government reform proposals include stronger planning for children and young people with SEND, including possible future use of Individual Support Plans. However, the detailed legal position, implementation process and accountability routes are still developing.

This means the practical steps in this guide remain relevant now: identify needs, plan support, deliver support, review progress, keep evidence, and escalate where support is not enough.

For a wider overview of what is current law, what is proposed reform and what is not yet confirmed, read Current SEND Law vs Proposed Reform.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a school have to provide SEN Support before an EHCP request?

Schools are usually expected to identify needs and provide appropriate SEN Support where a child has special educational needs. However, parents can still request an EHC needs assessment if they believe their child may need more support than is normally available through SEN Support.

Can parents request an EHCP if the school does not agree?

Yes. Parents can request an EHC needs assessment directly from the local authority. A school’s support can be useful evidence, but the school does not have to make the request.

What is the graduated approach?

The graduated approach is the cycle schools use to identify needs, plan support, put support in place and review whether it is working. It is commonly described as assess, plan, do and review.

What evidence helps with an EHCP request?

Useful evidence may include SEN Support plans, review notes, school records, assessment information, behaviour or attendance logs, professional reports and examples showing how the child’s needs affect learning or school life.

Can a school say there is no funding for support?

Schools have duties to identify and support children with SEND. Funding pressures may affect how support is organised, but they do not remove the need to consider a child’s needs and make appropriate provision.

Does a child need a diagnosis before SEN Support?

No. SEN Support should be based on identified needs, not only on diagnosis. A diagnosis can be helpful evidence, but support should not be withheld simply because a diagnosis has not yet been confirmed.

When should parents consider an EHCP request?

Parents may consider an EHCP request where their child’s needs appear to require support beyond what is normally available through SEN Support, or where school-based support is not leading to enough progress.

If you are exploring school support, EHCPs or proposed SEND reforms, these guides may also help:

Further Guidance and Trusted SEND Support Resources

The following organisations provide independent guidance on SEND rights, support and education:

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If you offer SEND, EHCP, advocacy, education consultancy or SEN tutoring support, you can Submit a Support Listing or Claim a Listing.

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