Moving on to the next stage of education, for children with EHC plans
2 mins read
Tuesday 3 February 2026
This advice applies in England only.
Does your child have an Education Health Care (EHC) plan? Are they transferring to school later this year?
If so, this coming 15 February is an important deadline. By this date, local authorities must have reviewed, amended (if necessary), and finalised the EHC plans for children transferring between different phases of education.
This includes transfers between:
· Early years to school.
· Primary school to middle school.
· Infant to junior school.
· Junior to secondary school.
· Middle to secondary school.
15 February is a legal deadline, which means the local authority must comply with it. The deadline is set out in Regulation 18 of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014.
What must the local authority do to finalise an EHC plan?
Before the local authority issue the final plan, they must send you a draft EHC plan and ask for your views. The local authority must also consult you about your preferred school for your child. However, expressing a preference does not automatically guarantee a place, but the local authority must name your preferred school unless one of the legal exceptions applies.
To meet the statutory deadline, the local authority should already have completed these steps and issued the final EHC plan.
If the local authority misses the 15 February deadline for finalising an EHC plan, contact the local authority to remind them of their legal obligation and request immediate action.
Where can I find more information?
See our webpage for more information about this process or contact our national helpline for advice. If your local authority does not name the school you want in the EHC plan, you have the right to appeal to the First Tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability). Contact our helpline for further advice and information.