Education, Health & Care Plans (EHCPs)

An Education, Health Care plan (EHCP) is a legal document that is issued by the child or young person’s local authority. It describes their special educational needs, the support they need and the outcomes they would like to achieve. It can give a child or young person additional educational support and gives parents, carers, and young people more choice about which school, college or other education setting the child or young person can attend.

All young people at The Westminster School have an EHCP.

An EHCP will support a young person up until the age of 25 as long as they remain in some form of educational setting.

An EHCP will only cease if:

• the young person has taken up paid employment (excluding apprenticeships)
• the young person goes to university
• the young person is 18 or over & does not want to engage in further learning
• the young person has turned 25

Annual Reviews

Every year, the Education, Health Care plan (EHCP) is reviewed to report on pupil’s progress and achievements from the previous Key Stage and to set targets and outcomes for the coming Key Stage.

Parents/carers are given the opportunity each year to discuss their child’s educational development and contribute their views during an annual review of their EHCP. Pupils also have the opportunity to contribute and will be asked to complete a one-page profile outlining their views or even invited to the annual review meeting where appropriate.

EHCP’s are updated by the local authority if the child or young person is at the end of their Key Stage or if there has been significant change to their needs.

Year 14 Annual Reviews are held at the beginning of the academic year to allow our young people, alongside their parents/carers, to start thinking about their next steps after The Westminster School. The School’s Careers Advisor will provide further information and will attend the annual reviews so that this can be discussed in further detail.

Parents/Carers are consulted throughout the process by the Local Authority and are sent draft EHCP which can be amended if needed. Once all parties are happy with the draft EHCP, a final EHCP is distributed.

If you have any queries about your child’s Education Health Care Plan or their annual review, please contact The Westminster School SEN team via email at SEN@westminster.sandwell.sch.uk or via phone call 0121 561 6884.