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27 April 2026

Tag: EHCP

Home education among pupils with EHC plans up by a quarter in one year

The number of children with education, health and care plans being educated at home has risen by almost a quarter in just one year. Data published by the Department for Education today shows that 3,660 pupils with EHC plans were in elective home education as of January this year, up from 2,983 in January 2020. […]

Government rules out relaxing SEND support rules – for now

The government has tentatively ruled out relaxing SEND support requirements during the current lockdown, instead urging authorities to make alternative arrangements if they are struggling to meet children’s legal provision. As Schools Week reported last week, ministers were asked to “guarantee”  they would not re-introduce temporary legislation that “downgrades” support for SEND pupils. For three […]

Government faces legal challenge over emergency SEND powers

The government is facing a legal challenge after temporarily “relaxing” the duty of councils to provide support for SEND pupils during the coronavirus outbreak. A notice at the end of April told councils they would only need to show “reasonable endeavours” to fulfill their duty in pupils’ education, health and care plans (EHCPs) during May. […]

Coronavirus: Children’s minister claims relaxing SEND support rules ‘strikes right balance’

New emergency powers that “relax” requirements on councils to provide support for SEND pupils “strike the right balance in difficult times”, the government has said. The proposed coronavirus bill states councils won’t be penalised for failing to provide support outlined in pupils’ education, health and care plans (EHCPs) as long as they show “reasonable endeavours” […]

Should you hand back an EHCP if you think the child no longer needs it?

Ed Vainker is the co-founder and executive principal of Reach Academy Feltham, the school featured in the documentary H is for Harry. We chatted to him about some of the themes raised in the film Qu: The documentary says Reach Feltham was spending twice the amount of funding allocated by Harry’s education, health and care […]

Schools have ‘strong legal case to make councils fully fund SEND provision’

Schools are forking out millions of pounds for special educational needs provision even though there is often a strong legal case for obliging their local authority to fully fund it. The majority of councils provide schools with up to £6,000 of funding for pupils who have a special education need. The cost of delivering all […]

Beware informal ‘learning plans’, SEND experts warn

Pupils with special educational needs are being issued with informal learning plans in place of official plans that come with guaranteed funding. Some local authorities are giving out documents called ‘my plans’ or ‘learning plans’ if they believe pupil’s needs do not warrant a proper education health and care plan (ECHP), SEND experts have warned. […]