Explain
Moving between school phases (phase transfer)
A child or young person with a plan may move to the next phase of education within 12 months. Examples are early years education (such as nursery) to school, primary to secondary, or secondary school to a post-16 institution like a college. The council must then review the plan and amend it where needed. For moves into or between schools, this must be done before 15 February in the year of the move. For a move from secondary school to a post-16 institution, it is before 31 March. The amended plan names the new school or college, or the type.
For a young person moving between post-16 institutions, the plan must be reviewed and amended at least 5 months before the move. For a move at the start of a new academic year, the Code says the review should normally be completed by 31 March. Plenda can also show dates worked back from the legal date, such as the latest day to send proposed amendments. Those are a planning guide, not legal deadlines.
- Type of rule
- Law (Act or Regulations)
- Rule id
phase_transfer- Rules version
- england-2026.10
- Law as at
- 30 September 2026
Sources
- SEND Regulations 2014, reg 18(1)Law (Act or Regulations)
- SEND Regulations 2014, reg 18(2)Law (Act or Regulations)
- SEND Code of Practice 2015, para 9.179Code of Practice: must (restates the law)
- SEND Code of Practice 2015, para 9.180Code of Practice: must (restates the law)
- SEND Code of Practice 2015, at least five months before a transfer between post-16 institutions, para 9.181Code of Practice: must (restates the law)
- SEND Code of Practice 2015, normally by 31 March for a move in the new academic year, para 9.181Code of Practice: should (follow unless there is a good reason not to)
- SEND Regulations 2014, reg 2Law (Act or Regulations)
Related
In an assistant, the ehcp_calculate_deadlines tool helps with this: EHCP deadlines.
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