EHCP Sections Explained: What Each Part of the Plan Means

An EHCP arrives and it can feel like a legal document from another era — sections labelled A through K, language that oscillates between clinical and bureaucratic, and it is not always obvious which parts actually matter. Here is a plain-English breakdown of every section, why each one exists, and which sections carry real legal weight.

Why the Section Structure Matters

The EHCP is divided into lettered sections because the placement of information within the plan affects which legal duties apply. Provision written in Section F must be secured by the local authority under Section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014, unless the parent or young person has made suitable alternative arrangements. The same words written in Section G are the responsibility of the responsible commissioning body, not the LA. Section A records views and aspirations; it does not itself specify provision the LA must secure.

Getting information into the right section — and out of the wrong one — is one of the most important things a parent can do when reviewing a draft EHCP.

Section A: Views, Interests, and Aspirations

Section A records the child or young person's own views, feelings, and aspirations. For younger children, parents contribute significantly to this section. It sets the holistic context for the document and reflects Section 19 of the CFA 2014, which requires the LA to have regard to the views, wishes, and feelings of the child or young person and their parents, and to support their participation in planning.

Section A records views and aspirations; it does not itself specify provision the LA must secure. But a strong Section A, written in the child's own words where possible, can influence the tone and direction of the rest of the plan.

Section B: Special Educational Needs

Section B describes all of the child's special educational needs. Every need identified by the professional assessments gathered during the EHC needs assessment process should appear here — cognition and learning needs, communication and interaction needs, social, emotional and mental health needs, and any sensory or physical needs that affect education.

This section is foundational because of a critical legal rule: every need documented in Section B must have corresponding provision in Section F. If a need appears in Section B but has no provision in Section F, the plan is legally deficient. When reviewing a draft, go through Section B line by line and check that every identified need has a specific provision mapped to it.

If a professional assessment has identified a need but it does not appear in Section B, the provision for that need cannot be enforced through Section F. Push back on any omissions before the plan is finalised.

Sections C and D: Health and Social Care Needs

Section C records health needs related to the SEN. Section D records social care needs. These sections inform the health and social care commissioning obligations but are not the primary educational enforcement mechanism.

One important nuance here: if a health or social care therapy "educates or trains" the child, case law (London Borough of Bromley v SENDIST) establishes that it must be classified as special educational provision and placed in Section F rather than Section G. Section 21(5) of the CFA 2014 also states that health or social care provision that educates or trains a child or young person must be treated as special educational provision. This decision must be made on an individual basis. Speech and Language Therapy that teaches communication skills, Occupational Therapy teaching fine motor skills, or CBT teaching emotional coping strategies — where these educate or train the child or young person, they belong in Section F. This is a significant practical point because the LA must secure Section F provision, while the responsible commissioning body must arrange Section G provision.

Section E: Outcomes

Section E sets out the outcomes the child is expected to achieve over the life of the plan. These outcomes must be SMART: Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Time-bound.

Section E cannot be appealed to the SEND Tribunal, which makes getting these outcomes right at the draft stage critically important. Poorly written outcomes — vague aspirations rather than specific, measurable targets — make it difficult to hold anyone accountable for progress.

Good outcomes describe what the child will be able to do differently as a result of the provision, not what the provision will be. For example: "By July 2027, [child] will be able to read a passage of unfamiliar text at age-appropriate level with no more than two decoding errors, as measured by a standardised reading assessment" is an outcome. "Receive structured literacy intervention" is provision, not an outcome.

Section F: Special Educational Provision

Section F is the most legally significant section in the entire EHCP. It specifies the special educational provision the local authority is obligated to secure. Once finalised, the LA must secure this provision under Section 42, unless the parent or young person has made suitable alternative arrangements. Budget constraints, staffing shortages, and waiting lists do not remove this duty when it applies.

Case law has established a rigorous standard for Section F drafting. The landmark case L v Clarke and Somerset CC held that provision must be "so specific and so clear as to leave no room for doubt as to what has been decided is necessary." Provision should normally be quantified in terms of: the type of support, the number of hours and frequency, and the level of expertise required to deliver it.

This is why vague language in Section F — "access to support," "as required," "when appropriate," "opportunities for" — is so problematic. Such phrases do not specify who is delivering the support, how often, or to what standard. They are largely unenforceable. Reviewing Section F for this kind of weasel wording and requesting specific, quantified replacements is the most important thing a parent can do before signing off on a draft.

Section G: Health Provision

Section G records health care provision. Under Section 42(3) of the CFA 2014, the body responsible for arranging the specified health care (the "responsible commissioning body") must arrange it; this is distinct from the LA's duty to secure Section F provision. The SEND Tribunal can make non-binding recommendations about health provision as part of an appeal that also includes education sections.

This is why it matters whether SALT, OT, or therapy is placed in Section F or Section G.

Sections H1 and H2: Social Care Provision

Section H1 covers social care provision under the Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 (specific practical assistance). Section H2 covers other social care provision, including under the Children Act 1989. These sections are relevant for children who receive social care support alongside their educational provision.

Section I: The Educational Placement

Section I names the school or other institution, or the type of school or institution, where the child will receive their provision. Parents have the right to request a particular maintained nursery school, maintained school or academy/free school (mainstream or special), non-maintained special school, further education or sixth-form college, or independent school or specialist college approved by the Secretary of State under Section 41 to be named here.

Critically, Section I must be left blank in the draft EHCP. This is a legal requirement. You must be given a minimum of 15 days to review the draft and request a specific placement before Section I is completed in the final plan.

If you request a specific school, the local authority must name it unless they can demonstrate one of three statutory grounds for refusal: the school is unsuitable for the child's needs; the placement would be incompatible with the efficient education of others; or the placement would be an unreasonable public expenditure.

If the LA names a school you did not request, or refuses to name your preferred school without adequate justification, you can appeal to the SEND Tribunal.

Sections J and K

Section J details any personal budget arrangements — how any direct payment to the parent will be used, or how notional budget funds are being allocated. Section K contains appendices: all the professional reports and assessments that informed the plan.

Reading Section K is worth the time because it allows you to compare what the professionals said with what has actually made it into Sections B and F.

For a detailed checklist covering what to look for in every section of your child's draft EHCP, the England EHCP & SEN Blueprint includes a section-by-section review tool.

See more England guides →