SEND Questions Parents Ask Most: 12 Plain Answers on Support, EHC Plans, Appeals and the Reforms
The SEND questions parents ask most usually come down to three things: what your child can get now, who has to provide it, and what you can do if they do not. This page answers the twelve questions we see most often for England, in the order families tend to meet them, and links to a fuller guide for each. The short version: support should follow need rather than diagnosis, an EHC plan is the only legally enforceable route for provision, and the reforms published in 2026 do not change your rights today.
Plans in England: 718,800 children and young people had an EHC plan at the January 2026 census, up 12.5% on a year earlier.
The legal clock: 20 weeks from a request for assessment to a final plan.
Time to appeal: two months from the decision letter, or one month from a mediation certificate, whichever is later.
The reforms: not expected before September 2029, with no changes proposed to support through EHC plans before at least September 2030.
Getting started
1. Does my child need a diagnosis to get SEND support?
No. Schools have to respond to the needs they can see, and a child does not need a formal diagnosis for that to happen. A diagnosis can still help everyone understand what is going on, and it may matter for rights under the Equality Act, but waiting for one should not delay help. Our guides to dyslexia, autism and ADHD support show how this works for particular needs.
2. Who do I talk to first?
Start with the class teacher or form tutor, then ask for a meeting with the SENCO, the school's special educational needs coordinator. Every mainstream school must have one. Ask what the school has seen, what it has tried and how you will know if it is working, then follow up the meeting with a short email so that there is a record. Our list of questions for parents' evening is a useful prompt.
3. What is SEN support?
SEN support is the help a school provides from its own resources, without an EHC plan. It should run as a repeating cycle called the graduated approach: assess, plan, do, review. It is a professional judgement made inside the school, and you cannot enforce particular hours or interventions in the way you can with a plan. Schools are expected to meet the first £6,000 of additional support from their budgets. See SEN support vs an EHCP.
EHC plans
4. What is an EHC plan, and who can have one?
An education, health and care plan is a legal document issued by the council for a child or young person up to 25 who needs more support than is available through SEN support, as GOV.UK explains. The part that matters most is section F, the special educational provision, because the council must secure what is written there. It should be specific: how often, how long and delivered by whom. Our EHCP guide goes through each section.
5. Can I ask for an assessment myself?
Yes. You do not need the school's agreement or permission. A parent can write to the council directly, and a young person aged 16 to 25 can request an assessment themselves. Others who think an assessment may be necessary, such as teachers and doctors, can raise it too. Our step-by-step guide covers how to apply for an EHCP.
6. How long should it take?
Twenty weeks from the request to the final plan, with fixed steps along the way.
You have 15 calendar days to comment on the draft plan and to ask for a particular school. Staff shortages and a backlog of educational psychology reports are not legal exceptions to the timetable.
7. How often is a plan reviewed?
The council must review a plan at least every 12 months, and you should be invited to give your views. Prepare for the review with notes on what has changed, and ask for any new reports in advance. If section F no longer matches your child's needs, the review is the time to say so.
When things go wrong
8. What can I do if the council refuses?
Refusing to assess, refusing to issue a plan and the contents of a final plan can all go to the SEND Tribunal. You normally have two months from the decision letter, or one month from a mediation certificate, whichever is later. You usually need to consider mediation first and obtain a certificate, though you do not have to go through with mediation itself. Our SEND Tribunal guide has the details, and IPSEA offers free independent legal advice.
9. What if the council misses the deadline?
Delay itself cannot be appealed to the tribunal. Write to the SEN team, set a date and quote the deadline that has been missed. If nothing changes, use the council's corporate complaints process and then go to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, which can order remedies.
10. What if the school is not providing what is in the plan?
Raise it with the SENCO first and ask for evidence of what is being delivered. If the gap continues, write to the council's SEN team, because the council has the legal duty to secure what section F says. Complaints about the school itself follow its own policy: see how to complain about a school.
School places and the reforms
11. Can a school refuse my child because of their needs?
Once a school is named in section I of a finalised plan, it must admit the child. Its chance to object comes during the consultation before the plan is finalised. For children without a plan, normal admissions rules apply, and the Equality Act prohibits discrimination because of disability. Our page on SEND rights at school sets out these duties, and mainstream vs special school helps with the choice itself. Recent guidance also tells councils to weigh travel costs when naming a parent's preferred school, as we reported in our schools news of 31 October.
12. Do the SEND reforms change anything now?
No. The Schools White Paper, Every Child Achieving and Thriving, was published on 23 February 2026, and the consultation closed on 18 May 2026. When we checked on 5 November 2026, GOV.UK still said it was analysing the feedback. The proposals include a new model of support, Individual Support Plans and EHC plans reserved for the most complex needs, but the reformed system is not expected before September 2029. Do not let anyone tell you it is not worth applying because the system is changing. The current law still applies.
For a wider view of how the pieces fit together, read our SEND support guide or browse the Schools Insight homepage to look up individual schools.
Sources: GOV.UK, children with SEND; DfE, SEND reform consultation. This page is general information for England and is not legal advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a child need a diagnosis for SEND support?
No. Schools must respond to the needs they can see, so support should not wait for a formal diagnosis, although a diagnosis can help explain a child's needs.
Can a parent request an EHC needs assessment without the school?
Yes. A parent can write directly to the council without the school's agreement. Young people aged 16 to 25 can also make the request themselves.
How long does an EHCP take?
The legal timescale is 20 weeks from the request to the final plan. The council must decide whether to assess by week 6 and whether to issue a plan by week 16.
How long do I have to appeal an EHCP decision?
Two months from the decision letter, or one month from the mediation certificate, whichever is later. Delay by the council goes to a complaint and then the Ombudsman, not the tribunal.
Should I wait for the SEND reforms before applying?
No. The reformed system is not expected before September 2029 and no changes to support through EHC plans are proposed before at least September 2030, so current rights still apply.