EHCP sections A to K explained for parents and carers

An Education, Health and Care plan has sections labelled A to K, with Section H divided into H1 and H2. Each section has a different job. Together they should describe the child or young person's views and needs, the outcomes sought, the provision required and the setting they will attend.

There is no single national page design, so local-authority plans can look different. The required content is still organised around the same sections.

EHCP sections at a glance

The legal content requirements are set out in Regulation 12 of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014.

Section A: views, interests and aspirations

Section A should reflect the child or young person's voice and the family's views. It may cover strengths, interests, communication, hopes for the future and what is important now.

Check that it sounds like your child, not a generic description. Important needs and provision must not be left only in Section A, because the other sections carry different legal functions.

Section B: special educational needs

Section B should specify all of the child or young person's SEN. Needs should be individual and clear, not just diagnostic labels.

Use the professional reports in Section K to check that nothing has been omitted. Every need in Section B should have corresponding special educational provision in Section F.

Sections C and D: health and social-care needs

Section C records health needs related to SEN. Section D records social-care needs related to SEN or disability.

These needs should connect to provision later in the plan:

• Section C connects with Section G
• Section D connects with Sections H1 and H2

If a health or social-care intervention educates or trains the child or young person, the SEND Code says it should be treated as special educational provision and placed in Section F.

Section E: outcomes

Outcomes describe the benefit or difference intended from the provision. They should connect to the identified needs and be clear enough to review.

A service is not an outcome. "Weekly occupational therapy" describes provision. The outcome explains what skill, participation or independence the support should help the child develop and by when.

Section F: special educational provision

Section F is one of the most important sections to check. It states the special educational provision required for the needs in Section B.

The SEND Code of Practice says provision should be detailed and specific and should normally be quantified. Where relevant, the wording should answer:

• what support will be provided
• who will provide it
• how often and for how long
• the group size or ratio
• the required expertise
• how it will be reviewed

The local authority is responsible for securing the provision specified in Section F.

Sections G, H1 and H2: health and social-care provision

Section G records health provision reasonably required by the learning difficulties or disabilities that result in SEN.

Section H1 covers certain social-care provision for people under 18 under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970. Section H2 contains other social-care provision reasonably required because of SEN or disability.

Check that every relevant need in Sections C and D has provision attached and that responsibilities are clear.

Section I: placement

Section I names the type and name of school, college or other institution. It is left blank in the draft plan so the parent or young person can request a particular setting.

The final plan may name a specific institution or, in some cases, only a type. If you disagree with what the final plan names, Section I is within the SEND Tribunal's appeal jurisdiction.

Section J: personal budget

Section J records details of any personal budget, including how it will support outcomes and which provision it will fund.

A personal budget is not automatically an extra pot of money. It is information about the cost of provision and the arrangements for using the budget. A direct payment is one possible way of receiving part of it, subject to the applicable rules.

Section K: advice and information

Section K lists the advice and information obtained during the assessment. The reports should accompany the plan.

Use Section K as the evidence index. Compare every report with Sections B, E and F. If a need or recommendation appears in a report but not the plan, identify it in your draft response.

Which sections can be appealed?

A parent or young person can appeal the contents of Sections B, F and I to the SEND Tribunal. When an appeal includes at least one of those sections, the Tribunal can also make non-binding recommendations about health and social-care needs and provision in Sections C, D, G and H.

Sections A, E, J and K are not standalone sections of appeal. Problems in those sections may still be relevant to changes sought elsewhere, so obtain advice on the particular case.

How to use this map

When reviewing a draft or existing plan:

1. read the Section K reports
2. list every need
3. check the needs appear in B, C or D
4. check each need connects to an outcome
5. check each need has provision in F, G or H
6. check Section I reflects the requested placement in the final plan
7. record precise changes and the evidence for them

For more detail, read how to review a draft EHCP and how to check Section F.

Unisen is being built to guide families through this section-by-section review while keeping their notes and source evidence together.

Explore the family workflow.