If your child is currently in Year 5, secondary school might still feel like a distant milestone. You are likely focused on finishing the current school year, sports days, and the upcoming summer holidays.
But if your child has an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP), the reality is that the critical Phase Transfer process is just around the corner.
By the time your child steps into their Year 6 classroom in September, the clock is already ticking rapidly toward the statutory February 15th deadline—the date by which the Local Authority must issue their final, amended EHCP naming their secondary placement.
Leaving things until Year 6 is one of the most common pitfalls for SEND families. Here is why the end of Year 5 is the absolute goldilocks zone for securing your child's secondary transition.
The Secondary Shock: Why Vague EHCPs Fail
The transition from a familiar, small primary school to a massive, fast-paced secondary environment is a huge leap for any child. For a child with SEND, it can be entirely overwhelming.
Primary schools often offer a naturally nurturing environment where staff know your child inside out and intuitively fill in the blanks. Secondary schools operate differently. Your child will have multiple teachers, move between different classrooms every hour, and be expected to manage a much higher level of independence.
Because of this, an out-of-date, vague, or poorly specified EHCP will not hold up well.
If your child’s plan relies on woolly phrases like "access to learning support" or "regular check-ins," those provisions risk completely disappearing in a busy secondary school. The plan must be robust, explicitly quantified, and tailored to the realities of a secondary environment.
Why Year 5 is Your Secret Weapon
To get an EHCP updated, you need time. If you wait until the Year 6 Annual Review in the autumn term, you are trapped in a high-pressure race against the clock. If the Local Authority refuses to make necessary changes, you will have very little time to gather new evidence or appeal before the February deadline.
Getting a comprehensive EHCP audit done right now—at the end of Year 5—gives you the exact window of time you need to:
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Spot the Gaps: Identify exactly where the current plan is failing to specify or quantify support.
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Gather Fresh Evidence: Secure updated professional reports (from speech therapists, OTs, or educational psychologists) over the summer.
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Fix Missing Provisions: Use your child’s next Annual Review to firmly embed these updates into the legal document before the secondary transition paperwork even begins.
⏱️ The Timeline Reality: By auditing and updating the plan at the end of Year 5, you enter Year 6 with a legally robust, evidence-backed document that clearly dictates exactly what support the secondary school must legally provide.
Don't Leave the Big Move to Chance
The transition to secondary school should be an exciting milestone, not a period of intense panic and last-minute legal battles. Taking control of the timeline now guarantees peace of mind for your family and a safe, supported start for your child.
Let’s look at your child's current plan and make sure it is fit for the future.
Drop us a message today to book a free initial consultation and find out how an EHCP audit can secure your peace of mind for the big move!