Live reference countdown

Phase transfer: the 15 February and 31 March deadlines

When a child or young person with an EHC plan moves between phases of education — starting school, moving to junior, secondary or college — the plan must be reviewed and amended by a fixed calendar date in the year of the move, so the family knows the named setting well before September. These are the two dates, counted down live, with what each one legally means and what to do as they approach.

School phase transfers

15 February deadline

Applies to transfers between school phases — early years to school, infant to junior, primary to middle or secondary, middle to secondary.

Working out the days remaining…

Secondary → post-16

31 March deadline

Applies to transfers from secondary school to a post-16 institution (college etc.).

Working out the days remaining…

Countdowns are computed on this page, in your browser, from your device's clock — nothing is recorded or sent anywhere. For the dates that flow from your own letters, use the deadline calculator.

What the deadline legally means

By the deadline the local authority must have both reviewed the plan and issued the amended final plan naming the school, college or other institution (or type of institution) your child will attend after the transfer — not merely started the process:

“…where a child or young person is within 12 months of a transfer between phases of education, the local authority must review and amend, where necessary, the child or young person's EHC plan before— (a) 31 March in the calendar year of the child or young person's transfer from secondary school to a post-16 institution; and (b) 15 February in the calendar year of the child's transfer in any other case, and where necessary amend the EHC plan so that it names the school, post-16 or other institution, or type of school or institution, which the child or young person will attend following that transfer.”

SEND Regulations 2014 (SI 2014/1530), reg 18(1)

“Transfer between phases of education” is a defined term — the 15 February date covers every phase transfer except the move to post-16:

““transfer between phases of education” means a transfer from— (a) relevant early years education to school; (b) infant school to junior school; (c) primary school to middle school; (d) primary school to secondary school; (e) middle school to secondary school; or (f) secondary school to a post-16 institution”

SEND Regulations 2014 (SI 2014/1530), reg 2(1)

(A young person moving from one post-16 institution to another at any other time has a different rule — reg 18(2): review and amendment at least five months before the transfer.)

What to do as the date approaches

The regulation puts the duty on the local authority — but in practice families who chase in writing get named settings sooner. A simple written trail also makes any escalation quick.

12 weeks out

Review booked, preference in writing, evidence in

Check the annual review has happened (or is booked) and that the LA has flagged this as a phase-transfer year.
Put your preferred school or college in writing to the LA's SEND team — with the reasons.
Gather the evidence that supports the placement and provision you want: recent professional reports, the current setting's views, anything showing needs have changed. Ask for updated advice in the review if reports are stale.

8 weeks out

The written chase letter

Write (email is fine) to the LA's SEND team: name your child, quote reg 18(1) and its date, and ask them to confirm in writing the date the amended final plan naming the new setting will be issued.
Ask which settings have been consulted and when responses are due — consultation delays are the standard explanation for missed transfer deadlines.
Keep copies of everything; dates on letters win arguments later.

4 weeks out

Escalate before the date, not after

Write again, copying the LA's SEND service manager: state that if the amended plan is not issued by the statutory date the authority will be in breach of reg 18(1), and ask for the issue date by return.
Line up help now — IPSEA and SOS!SEN both advise on missed transfer deadlines, and are busiest in February and March.
If the plan arrives but you disagree with the named setting or provision, the appeal clock starts from the decision — don't let the transfer argument eat the appeal window.

If the deadline has been missed

Regulation 18(1) is mandatory — the local authority “must review and amend, where necessary, the child or young person's EHC plan before” the date. If the date passes without the amended final plan, the authority is in breach of the regulation. Missing the date does not switch the duty off: the review and the amended plan naming the next setting are still owed, immediately.

Write to the LA stating the deadline has been missed, that the duty remains, and asking for the amended plan by a stated date (7–14 days is common).
Escalate in parallel: a formal complaint to the LA, and free legal advice from IPSEA (ipsea.org.uk) or SOS!SEN (sossen.org.uk) — for a plain breach of a statutory duty they can advise on the pre-action steps for judicial review, which is the court route for enforcing this kind of duty.
Keep your child's current provision running meanwhile — the existing plan stays in force until it is amended.

Want a nudge before the next one?

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Where next

Related tools & next steps

NOJ publishes sourced legal information about England's SEND framework. Check the source links and review date on this page because law and guidance can change. We are not a law firm and do not provide legal advice about your individual situation. For help with your own case: IPSEA (ipsea.org.uk), SOS!SEN (sossen.org.uk), or your local SENDIASS via your council's Local Offer. Rules on this page verified as of 2026-07-10.