Moving school in September 2027 with an EHCP in Sheffield
If your child has an EHC plan (Education, Health and Care plan) and moves school in September 2027, Sheffield City Council must send a final plan naming the new school before 15 February 2027. For a move from school to college, it's before 31 March 2027. The review that starts this should already have happened. If you've heard nothing, ask the council now.
See my moving-school dates, free
Who this is for
This page is for Sheffield families whose child already has an EHC plan (Education, Health and Care plan, a legal document setting out the extra help a child must get) and who will move in September 2027:
- from nursery into Reception
- from an infant school into a junior school (Year 2 to Year 3)
- from primary to secondary school (Year 6 to Year 7)
- from school to college or sixth form (after Year 11)
Moving between stages like this is called phase transfer. If your child doesn't have an EHC plan yet, read how to apply for an EHCP in Sheffield and talk to Sheffield SENDIAS (below) about school places.
Key EHCP dates for a September 2027 move in Sheffield
| Date | What must happen |
|---|---|
| Before 15 February 2027 | Final EHC plan naming the new school, for moves to Reception, junior school or secondary school. Sheffield schools are on half-term from 15 to 19 February, so the letter may come just before. |
| Before 31 March 2027 | Final EHC plan naming the college or sixth form, for moves after Year 11. This falls in the Easter holiday in Sheffield. |
These dates are fixed in law. They are deadlines, not targets.
When does Sheffield hold the moving-school review?
Sheffield City Council's EHC plan team, SENDSARS (SEND Statutory Assessment and Review Service), asks schools to hold the moving-school review a year early. It counts as that year's annual review (the yearly meeting to check the EHC plan).
| Move | Review should be held by |
|---|---|
| Nursery to Reception | Autumn term of the last nursery year |
| Year 2 to Year 3 | End of the summer term in Year 1 |
| Year 6 to Year 7 | End of the summer term in Year 5 |
| Year 11 to college or sixth form | End of the summer term in Year 10 |
This is earlier than many parents expect. If the review hasn't happened yet, that's OK. Ask the school's SENCo (special educational needs coordinator, the teacher in charge of extra help) to arrange it now, and tell SENDSARS in writing.
How do I tell Sheffield City Council which school I want?
Write the school you'd like on the annual review paperwork. If you've had the review already, email SENDSARS at SENDAssess&Review@sheffield.gov.uk and name the school. Children with an EHC plan don't apply through the normal school admissions form. Instead, the council asks the school you named whether it can take your child. Then it names a school in the plan.
Heard nothing about the new school yet?
That's common, and it's not too late to act. Write to SENDSARS, the council's EHC plan team. Ask which schools it has contacted and when it will send the final plan. EHC Plan Helper writes this letter for you, with the legal date quoted. If the date passes, see what to do when Sheffield City Council is late with an EHCP.
What if I don't agree with the school the council names?
You can appeal to the SEND Tribunal, an independent court that decides disagreements about EHC plans (Education, Health and Care plans). There are time limits, usually 2 months from the date of the council's letter. The letter with the final plan must explain how to appeal. The Appeals section of EHC Plan Helper works out your deadlines.
Who can help with moving school in Sheffield?
Sheffield SENDIAS (Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Information, Advice and Support) gives free, confidential advice about choosing a school. Phone 0114 273 6009 or visit sheffieldsendias.org.uk. For more Sheffield contacts, see EHCP help in Sheffield: who does what.
What to do next
- Want your dates in one place? Open the Moving school section of EHC Plan Helper. Choose when your child moves and it shows you every date, including your own.
- Heard nothing yet? Write to the council now. It takes about 5 minutes.
It's free, with no account. What you type stays on your own phone or computer.
What the law says
SEND Regulations 2014, regulation 18(1)
"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"
Last checked: October 2026. Sheffield review timings are from the council's Local Offer page on phase transfers. Holiday dates are for Sheffield community schools. Academies can differ. This is information, not legal advice. Who makes EHC Plan Helper.