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Reading Your Child's EHCP: What Each Section Actually Says (UK 2026)

An Education, Health and Care Plan is one of the most important documents your child will ever have — but most parents receive it feeling overwhelmed. This plain-English guide walks through every section, A to K, so you know exactly what the local authority has committed to and where to push back.

The Clarify Team

— 8 min read
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⚡ 2026 update: The SEND system in England is under active reform following the 2023 SEND Review. Local authorities are now required to issue EHCPs within 20 weeks of a request — but waiting times are still frequently exceeded. If yours is overdue, you can escalate to the SEND Tribunal.At a glance

  • An EHCP has 13 sections, labelled A to K (with some local authorities including additional local sections).
  • Sections B, F, and I are the most legally significant — they describe your child's needs, the provision to meet them, and the named school.
  • Provision in Section F must be specific and quantified — vague language like "access to support" is not legally enforceable.
  • You have the right to request a review annually, or sooner if your child's needs change significantly.
  • If you disagree with any part of the EHCP, you can appeal to the SEND Tribunal — usually within two months of the final plan.
  • Not legal or medical advice: This article explains EHCP sections in plain English. For your specific situation, speak to a SEND solicitor, your local IASS (Information, Advice and Support Service), or contact Citizens Advice.

The envelope arrives. Inside is a document that could be 20, 40, or even 60 pages long. It's written in education and health jargon, organised into lettered sections, and full of references to legislation and guidance you've never heard of.

This is your child's Education, Health and Care Plan — and understanding it matters enormously. The EHCP is a legal document. The local authority is bound by what it says in specific sections. Where the language is vague or incomplete, so is the commitment to your child.

This guide walks through every section of an EHCP so you know what to look for, what should be there, and what to challenge.

Why the wording in an EHCP matters so much

An EHCP is not just a description of your child. It's a legal commitment. Under the Children and Families Act 2014, local authorities must arrange the special educational provision set out in Section F. If they don't, you can enforce it.

But only if Section F actually specifies what provision must be delivered. Vague phrases — "regular support", "appropriate intervention", "access to specialist advice" — are not legally enforceable because no one can agree what they mean in practice. The more specific the language, the stronger your child's entitlement.

That's why reading every section carefully is not just helpful — it's essential.

Section A: the child's and parents' views

Section A should include your child's own aspirations, interests, and views about their support — written in their own words as far as possible. It should also capture the views of parents and carers gathered during the EHC needs assessment.

Check that:

  • Your child's voice is genuinely present, not just summarised by professionals.
  • Your own views as a parent are accurately reflected.
  • Any concerns you raised during the assessment are included, not paraphrased away.

Section A has no legal enforceability on its own — but it shapes the whole plan. If it misrepresents your child's experience, request a correction before the plan is finalised.

Section B: the child's special educational needs

This is one of the three most important sections in the plan. Section B must describe all of your child's special educational needs — not just those the local authority has chosen to address.

Common problems to look for:

  • Incomplete needs: Needs identified in the professional reports (from educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists) that don't appear in Section B. Every identified need should be here.
  • Vague descriptions: "Difficulties with attention and concentration" tells you very little. Look for specific, evidence-based language that reflects the assessment reports.
  • Missing areas: EHCPs cover special educational needs, but health and social care needs that affect education must also be reflected. If your child's anxiety, sensory processing difficulties, or physical needs affect their learning, they should appear here.

Section C describes your child's health needs that relate to their special educational needs. This section is informational rather than legally binding in the same way as Section F — but it provides the basis for health provision in Section G.

Check that all relevant diagnoses and health conditions are included, including any that affect learning indirectly (such as chronic fatigue, anxiety disorders, or sensory processing differences).

Section D covers social care needs that relate to your child's SEN. Again, this is descriptive rather than directly enforceable — but gaps here can affect what ends up in Section H (social care provision).

Section E: outcomes

Section E sets out the outcomes the EHCP is working towards — what your child should achieve over time with the right support in place. Outcomes must be specific, measurable, and achievable within a realistic timeframe.

Watch for:

  • Outcomes that are really just descriptions of provision ("the child will receive speech therapy") rather than actual goals ("the child will be able to initiate a conversation with a peer in an unstructured setting").
  • Outcomes set so broadly that they can never be evidenced as achieved or not achieved.
  • Missing outcomes for key areas of need identified in Section B.

Upload your child's EHCP to Clarify and get plain-English answers in minutes.

Ask "What does Section F say about speech therapy?" or "Are the outcomes in Section E specific enough?" — Clarify reads the document and quotes the exact text back to you in language that makes sense. No jargon, no guesswork.

Try Clarify free → getclarify.co.uk

Section F: the special educational provision

Section F is the most legally important section in the entire plan. It specifies the special educational provision that must be arranged to meet the needs in Section B and work towards the outcomes in Section E.

The law requires that Section F provision is specific and quantified. That means hours per week, frequency of sessions, who delivers the support, and in what setting.

Compare these two examples:

  • Not enforceable: "Access to speech and language therapy as required."
  • Enforceable: "One-to-one speech and language therapy delivered by a qualified speech and language therapist, for 45 minutes per week during term time, focused on narrative language and social communication."

Go through every need in Section B and check there is specific, quantified provision in Section F to address it. If there's a need with no corresponding provision, that's a gap you should challenge.

Section G: health provision

Section G sets out health provision reasonably required by the learning difficulties or disabilities that result in the child having SEN. This section is jointly owned by health commissioners.

Health provision in Section G should be as specific as Section F. Vague references to "CAMHS involvement" or "medical review as needed" are insufficient — push for named services, frequency, and named professionals where possible.

Section H: social care provision

Section H covers social care provision. It has two sub-sections:

  • H1: Provision under Section 2 of the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 — this is legally required if your child qualifies.
  • H2: Other social care provision reasonably required as a result of the learning difficulties.

Section I: the school or setting

Section I names the school, college, or other institution your child will attend. This is legally binding — the named institution must admit your child (unless this would be incompatible with the efficient education of others, after reasonable steps have been taken).

Key points:

  • The local authority must consult with any school named before it's included.
  • You have the right to request a specific school, including independent specialist provision if mainstream or maintained specialist provision cannot meet your child's needs.
  • If you disagree with the named school, this is one of the grounds for a SEND Tribunal appeal.

Section J: personal budget (if applicable)

Section J covers any personal budget — funding allocated to the family to arrange some or all of the provision in the EHCP directly. Not all EHCPs include a personal budget. If you want one, you must specifically request it.

Section K: the advice and information gathered

Section K lists all the advice, assessments, and reports gathered during the EHC needs assessment — from educational psychologists, medical professionals, therapists, and the family. These documents are appended to the plan.

Check that every assessment you requested or that was carried out is listed here. If a report is missing — or if the plan has not reflected what a key report recommended — that's grounds for challenge.

What to do if you disagree with the EHCP

You have 15 days to respond to a draft EHCP and request changes. If the local authority issues a final plan you still disagree with, you have two months from the date of the final plan (or the decision letter) to appeal to the SEND Tribunal.

Before going to tribunal, contact your local IASS (Information, Advice and Support Service) — every local authority must fund one, and it's free. IPSEA and SOS!SEN also offer free legal advice for families navigating the SEND system.

Understand exactly what your child's EHCP commits to — section by section.

Upload the plan to Clarify and ask about any section that's confusing or incomplete. Clarify highlights the exact wording and explains what it means — so you can go into reviews and meetings knowing precisely what the local authority has agreed to.

Understand my child's EHCP → getclarify.co.uk

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to get an EHCP?

Local authorities must complete the EHC needs assessment and issue a final plan within 20 weeks of receiving the request. In practice, many authorities exceed this — if yours does, you can complain to the local authority and ultimately appeal to the SEND Tribunal for failing to meet its statutory duty.

Can a school refuse to admit my child if they're named in Section I?

Generally, no. Once a school is named in Section I of a final EHCP, it must admit the child. The only exception is if admitting the child would be incompatible with the efficient education of other pupils, and no reasonable steps could remove that incompatibility.

What's the difference between a draft EHCP and a final EHCP?

A draft EHCP is issued first, giving you and the school 15 days to comment and request changes. The local authority then issues a final EHCP, usually within 20 weeks of the original assessment request. Only the final EHCP is legally binding.

How often is an EHCP reviewed?

EHCPs must be reviewed at least once a year at an Annual Review meeting. You can also request an early review if your child's needs change significantly — for example, if they receive a new diagnosis or move to a new phase of education.

Can I ask for an independent school to be named in Section I?

Yes. You can request that the local authority names an independent specialist school. The local authority can refuse only if the placement is unsuitable for your child's age, ability, or SEN, or if it would be an inefficient use of resources. Many families successfully appeal these refusals at the SEND Tribunal.

What does "quantified and specified" mean in Section F?

It means provision must be described in specific, measurable terms — the type of support, who delivers it, how often, for how long, and in what setting. Provision that lacks this detail is harder to enforce because the local authority can argue about what it means in practice.

What is the SEND Tribunal and how do I appeal?

The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Tribunal is an independent body that hears appeals against local authority EHCP decisions. You can appeal the decision to refuse an EHC needs assessment, the contents of the EHCP (Sections B, F, and I), or a decision to cease maintaining the plan. Appeals must generally be lodged within two months of the decision.

Is an EHCP the same as a Statement of Special Educational Needs?

No — Statements were replaced by EHCPs in 2014 under the Children and Families Act. If your child had a Statement before 2014, it should have been converted to an EHCP by 2018. If this hasn't happened, contact your local authority immediately.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. The SEND system is complex and outcomes depend on individual circumstances. For advice specific to your child's situation, contact your local IASS (Information, Advice and Support Service), IPSEA, SOS!SEN, or Citizens Advice.

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