Use this letter to ask your council to assess your child for an EHCP. You don’t need the school’s permission, and you don’t need a diagnosis.
In short
- Send it to your council’s SEN team by email, so you have the date it arrived.
- The council must tell you within 6 weeks whether it will assess your child.
- Attach any evidence you already have. You can send more later.
Before you send it
- Find your council’s SEN team email address. It is usually on the council’s Local Offer website.
- Gather what you have: school reports, any professional reports and your own notes.
- Write two or three examples of what your child finds hard, and how often it happens.
The letter
Subject: Request for an EHC needs assessment for [child’s full name], date of birth [date of birth]
Dear SEN team,
I am writing to request an Education, Health and Care needs assessment for my child, [child’s full name], date of birth [date of birth]. [He/She/They] attend [name of school or nursery] in [Year group].
I am making this request under section 36 of the Children and Families Act 2014. I believe [child’s name] has, or may have, special educational needs, and that it may be necessary for special educational provision to be made through an EHC plan.
[Child’s name] has difficulties with:
- [First difficulty, with an example and how often it happens]
- [Second difficulty, with an example and how often it happens]
- [Third difficulty, with an example and how often it happens]
[Name of school] has tried [what the school has tried, for how long]. Despite this, [child’s name] is still [what is still happening].
I have attached:
- [Document 1, for example the latest school report]
- [Document 2, for example a speech and language therapy report]
- [Document 3, for example my notes of what happens at home]
Please confirm the date you received this request, and tell me who will be handling it. I understand the council must tell me within 6 weeks whether it will carry out an assessment. I would like to be told about, and involved in, any decisions along the way.
Yours faithfully,
[Your full name]
[Your relationship to the child, for example parent]
[Your address, phone number and email]
What happens next
Put the date the council received your letter into our deadline checker. It will show you the date the council must reply by. If the council says no, read what to do if the council refuses to assess.
This is a template, not legal advice. Change it to fit your child. For advice about your situation, contact IPSEA or your local SENDIASS.