Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) have 12 distinct parts known as sections A to K. These sections cover different things.
The most important part of the whole document is Section A, as this is the part of the plan that you and your child complete, and where you explain all the things you want to tell everyone.
Section A
Section A is your opportunity to tell the Local Authority (LA) about your child.
You should remember that:
- nobody knows your child better than you do
- there’s no right or wrong way for completing this section
There are 2 parts to Section A:
- the first part – this is for you to complete
- the second part – is for your child to complete
What you need to include in Section A
The LA will ask for Section A to be completed early in the process, for example once they’ve agreed to complete an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessment.
You can include:
- your child's needs
- their strengths
- their aspirations and your aspirations for the future
You can include:
- working towards specific employment goals, independence or supported living,
desired health outcomes - being happy and doing the things your child enjoys
If your child is younger, those aspirations may be looking towards what you and your child would like for the next stage of their education, for example:
- moving to a different key stage
- moving to a different school
The aspirations set out by you and your child in Section A should be the golden thread that runs through the rest of the document, and everything in the Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) should be focused on achieving those outcomes and aspirations.
Tips for writing Section A
Detail – include as much information as you can about:
- your child
- their needs
- what strategies help them and work for them
Talk to other people who know your child – their views might help you to decide what you want to include
Include evidence - you might have reports from others who know your child well. You can include these and ask for them to be attached to the final document in Section K.
Be honest – as a parent it is easier to speak about the successes and strengths of your children, but it’s equally important to include the challenges in Section A too.
Add your child’s views - including their aspirations:
Some children can complete this without any help.
Some children need help to complete this.
It should be possible for every child to contribute even if only in a small way.
You can complete this on your child’s behalf if needed. If you are writing on their behalf, their voice needs to come across, for example:
- Sophie likes to play the drums
- Thomas enjoys swimming with his friends
- Billy loves football
Check – give your Section A to someone to read who knows your child well and ask them if they think it covers everything you need to include before returning it.
At any EHCP meeting - remind everyone that you and your child’s contributions are the golden thread that should run through the document.
For further information
Completing Section A of Your Child's EHCP – there is a good example of a completed Section A on the Guide Dogs website – Julie and her family’s story.
If you require further support with writing Section A, you can contact the SEND Information, Advice and Support Service (SENDIASS).