Annual reviews for children with special educational needs

An annual review is a meeting that takes place every year to discuss the progress of a child with special educational needs (SEN). It is an opportunity for the child, their parents or carers, and their teachers to come together and discuss the child's needs, goals, and provision.

Why is an annual review important?

Annual reviews are important because they ensure that the child's SEN are being met and that they are making progress. They also provide an opportunity for everyone involved in the child's education to work together to develop a plan for the child's future.

What happens at an annual review?

The annual review meeting will typically include a discussion of the following:

The child's progress
The child's needs
The child's goals
A plan for the child's future education

The meeting will also involve everyone involved in the child's education working together to develop a plan for the child's future. This plan will set out the child's goals for the next year and the support that they will need to achieve these goals.

Who should attend an annual review?

The annual review meeting should be attended by the following people:

The child
The child's parents or carers
The child's teachers
Any other professionals who are involved in the child's education, such as a SENCO, educational psychologist, or speech and language therapist

How can I prepare for my child's annual review?

There are a number of things you can do to prepare for your child's annual review, including:

Think about your child's progress and what you would like to see happen in the next year.
Gather any information that you think would be helpful, such as reports from other professionals or your child's work.
Write down any questions or concerns that you have.

It is also important to talk to your child about the annual review before the meeting. Explain what is going to happen and why it is important. You may also want to ask your child what they would like to discuss at the meeting.

Tips for getting the most out of your child's annual review

Here are a few tips for getting the most out of your child's annual review:

Come prepared with information about your child's progress and your hopes for their future.
Be honest and open about your concerns.
Be prepared to listen to the views of others involved in your child's education.
Be clear about what you want to achieve from the meeting.
Ask for follow-up meetings if necessary.

Year 9 Annual Review

For young people who have an Education Health and Care Plan the Year 9 annual review is important as the planning for adulthood starts here.

This is the time to start talking about further education, what sort of career they want, where they will live, what ongoing support or health needs they may have. High goals are important and starting to plan now helps to identify the most suitable pathway.

Questions to think about include:

what is already in place to help your child or young person?
what needs to be put in place?
who needs to be involved?
what is working well?
what needs to change?

People involved in the Year 9 annual review meeting

Your child or young person
You as the parent or carer
A social worker
A member of the school staff
Careers South West Advisor

Year 10 Annual Review

The plan for education, employment, or training is reviewed to make sure it is still correct.

During Year 10 you may want to explore the options open to your young person to help them reach their goals. You may want to:

look on college websites for prospectuses.
visit colleges on their open days
consider an apprenticeship
consider other work-based learning or employment.

Having an Education, Health and Care Plan does not mean having an indefinite Post 16 education. However, it may be possible for a pupil with special educational needs to stay on in education beyond their 19th birthday in certain circumstances.

If the young person's further educational needs cannot be met at a local college, different providers may be considered. Plymouth City Council will review each application on a case-by-case basis.

Year 11 Annual Review

This is a very important year for your young person where decisions about future education and employment will need to be made. They will need to decide what type of course they want to do and how that links to their future career pathway.

The Year 11 Annual Review will need to be held in the autumn term before the young person leaves compulsory education.

If the young person has a learning difficulty/disability, and will be leaving school to enter college or a work based learning programme, an advisor from Careers Southwest will attend the annual review meeting.

From the age of 16, your young person can start to make the decisions about their future themselves.

Now is the time for your young person to give information about the difficulties they experience, which they may need help to overcome. Using the information in the young person's Education, Health and Care Plans from Year 9 and Year 10 will help the young person move towards their goals.

Frequently asked questions

What is an annual review for children with special educational needs (SEN)?

An annual review is a meeting that takes place every year to discuss the progress of a child with SEN. It is an opportunity for the child, their parents or carers, and their teachers to come together and discuss the child's needs, goals, and provision.

Why is an annual review important?

Annual reviews are important because they ensure that the child's SEN is being met and that they are making progress. They also provide an opportunity for everyone involved in the child's education to work together to develop a plan for the child's future.

What happens at an annual review?

The annual review meeting will typically include a discussion of the child's progress, their needs, and their goals. The meeting will also involve developing a plan for the child's future education.

Who should attend an annual review?

The annual review meeting should be attended by the child, their parents or carers, their teachers, and any other professionals who are involved in the child's education.