Education, health and care (EHC) plans

Be clear on what EHC plans are, what they contain and how pupils with special educational needs (SEN) receive one. Also understand when you might see one as a governor.

Last reviewed on 29 January 2024
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 32463
Contents
  1. What an EHC plan is for 
  2. When you might see an EHC plan
  3. EHC plans contain 11 sections
  4. How pupils get EHC plans and how they're reviewed

What an EHC plan is for 

It's a plan for children and young people up to the age of 25 who need more support than they can get through the special educational needs (SEN) support at your school.

EHC plans identify educational, health and social needs, and set out the additional support required to meet those needs. Get up to speed with all these terms with our SEND glossary.

Although you don't need to know a lot of detail about EHC plans, you'll find this article useful to get an overview of what they are. 

Read a more general overview of the governing board's responsibilities regarding SEND in our other article.

Although the SEND Code of Practice says governors should have access to EHC plans, in reality it's unlikely you'll need to read one in detail. EHC plans are comprehensive and personal documents, and you're only likely to look