Rulebook · Plan check

Content may be out of date

Plans should be clear, concise, understandable and accessible, describe positively what the child or young person can do, and be forward looking. Outcomes should be SMART. Plans should have a review date. Reviews should consider whether the plan is still appropriate and whether changes are needed.

What a point from this check says, with placeholders in square brackets:

This item refers to [what was found], which doesn't match the year group given. It may have been carried over from an earlier plan.

Where it looks

The whole plan

How it is reported

Code says shouldThe SEND Code of Practice says "should" here. The bodies it applies to (such as councils, schools, colleges and health bodies) must have regard to it, and the Code says they will be expected to explain any departure from it.

Type of rule

Code of Practice: should (follow unless there is a good reason not to)

How Plenda finds it

From the wording of the plan. Found by matching words, so a person should check it.

What would address it

Update the item to describe the child or young person now.

The requirement

See the requirement and every check that looks for it

Rule id

chk.plan.stale_content

Rules version

england-2026.10

Law as at

30 September 2026

Sources

• SEND Code of Practice 2015, para 9.61Code of Practice: should (follow unless there is a good reason not to)
• SEND Code of Practice 2015, para 9.167Code of Practice: should (follow unless there is a good reason not to)
• SEND Code of Practice 2015, para 9.66Code of Practice: should (follow unless there is a good reason not to)

Plan checks look at what a plan says and how clearly. They do not judge whether the help is enough for the child.

All plan checks