Appeal What Your Child's EHC Plan Says: Sections B, F and I
Your child's final EHC plan has arrived or been amended after a review, and it leaves needs out, the support is vague or the school named is wrong. You can bring an EHCP content appeal to the SEND Tribunal. The EHC Plan Content Appeal Pack turns your child's reports into numbered grounds of appeal and specific, quantified wording for sections B, F and I. It also walks you through mediation, form SEND35 and the hearing.
One-off payment · No subscription · Guidance and document preparation support, not legal advice · England only
Is an EHCP content appeal the right route?
The plan was just finalised or amended
A final plan issued for the first time, or amended or replaced after a review, can be appealed for sections B, F and I (section 51(3) of the Children and Families Act 2014).
The council refused to change it
After an annual review the council decided not to amend the plan. That decision can be appealed too (section 51(2)(e)), on the same form SEND35.
The council refused to assess
A refusal to carry out an EHC needs assessment is appealed on form SEND35A. Our Refusal Appeal Pack is built for that.
Only health or social care is wrong
Sections C, D, G and H cannot be appealed on their own. In a content appeal they can be raised alongside section B, F or I, and the Tribunal can only make recommendations about them.
Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland
The law and the appeal routes there are different, so this pack does not cover them.
Check your appeal deadline first (free)
Before you buy anything, check you are in time. Enter the date printed on the council's letter that came with the final or amended plan, or that refused to change it.
Worked out under rule 20 and rule 12 of the Tribunal Procedure (First-tier Tribunal) (Health, Education and Social Care Chamber) Rules 2008: 2 months from the letter, or 1 month from the mediation certificate if that is later, received by 5pm. A deadline in August, or from 25 December to 1 January, moves to the first working day after 31 August or 1 January. Always check the dates on your own letter.
What the Content Appeal Pack gives you
Up to 7 documents, written from your answers, your child's reports and the plan text you paste. An appeal only about section I gets the 5 that apply.
- Grounds of appealNumbered issues for each disputed point: what the plan says, why it is wrong, your evidence and the order you ask for. Ready to attach to SEND35 section 10.
- Proposed section B wordingEvery need, area by area, marked new, amended or keep, with the report it comes from.
- Proposed section F wordingWhat, who, how often, how long, group size and who reviews it, for every need in B, built only from your evidence.
- Section I reasoningThe legal route for the school you want, an answer to the council's stated reason and the evidence to gather.
- Evidence list by paragraphWhich report backs each paragraph, what to send now and the Tribunal's page limits.
- Mediation and SEND35 walkthroughThe mediation certificate step with your dates, then form SEND35 section by section.
- Working document and hearing notesThe working document, the case review form, a 2 page written summary and what happens at the hearing.
How it works
- Try it free. Paste one section F paragraph and see it rewritten from your child's needs.
- Pay once (£199.99) and answer 5 short steps, about 25 to 30 minutes, with the plan and your reports to hand.
- Your documents build on screen in a few minutes, numbered and in order.
- We email you a copy, and you print the papers to send and your own guide as PDFs.
What the law expects from the plan
Every number comes from your evidence
Proposed wording is only useful if it is true. Every hour, session and group size in your proposed section F comes from a report you hold, the current plan or what you tell us your child receives, and is followed by its source. Where a report gives no figure, the wording says [AMOUNT FROM REPORT] and tells you what to ask the professional for. If a number appears that is not in what you entered, the page flags it in amber so you can check it before anything is sent.
Rewrite one section F paragraph free
Paste one paragraph from section F of your child's plan and describe the need it should meet. We rewrite it to be specific and quantified, using only what you give us.
We'll email your paragraph plus occasional EHCP guidance and offers. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy
Please replace your child's surname with their first name or "my child" before pasting. We remove postcodes, email addresses and phone numbers automatically.
EHC Plan Content Appeal Pack
One-off payment · No subscription
- Grounds of appeal for each disputed section, numbered for SEND35
- Proposed section B wording, need by need
- Proposed section F wording: what, who, how often, how long
- Section I reasoning for the setting you want
- Evidence list mapped to every paragraph
- Mediation and SEND35 walkthrough with your dates
- Working document and hearing preparation notes
- On screen in minutes, emailed to you, printable as PDF
Personalised digital documents generated instantly. Refunds: see section 6 of our Terms. Guidance only, not legal advice; no outcome is guaranteed.
Questions parents ask
Can you guarantee the Tribunal will change the plan?
No, and nobody honestly can. The SEND Tribunal decides on the evidence and the law. What we do is help you set out each disputed point clearly: what the plan says, why it does not meet the legal standard, which report supports a change and the exact wording you are asking for. That is the part parents most often find hardest, and it can make a real difference to how your case is understood.
Do I need a solicitor?
No. The SEND Tribunal is designed so that parents and young people can bring appeals themselves, and many do. EHCPhelp provides guidance and document preparation support, not legal advice. Free specialist help is available from IPSEA and your local SENDIASS, and legal aid may be available depending on your circumstances. Complex cases, such as a dispute about an independent school or about costs, can benefit from specialist advice.
Can I appeal only the school named in section I?
Yes. An appeal only about section I (the school or college named, the type of school or the fact that none is named) does not need a mediation certificate, under section 55(2) of the Children and Families Act 2014. If you add section B or F, the certificate is needed. The Tribunal decides section I against the needs and provision in sections B and F, so think about whether those are right before you choose.
What about health and social care?
If your appeal includes section B, F or I, you can also ask the Tribunal to make recommendations about health and social care (sections C, D, G and H). Recommendations are not binding: the health body or the council must reply in writing within 5 weeks saying what it will do and why. Health and social care cannot be appealed on their own. Therapy that educates or trains your child, such as speech and language therapy in most cases, belongs in section F.
My deadline has passed. What can I do?
You can still send a late appeal. In section 13.3 of form SEND35 you explain the reasons for the delay, why the appeal should succeed and go ahead even though it is late and why you should not have to wait for an annual review or ask for another assessment. A tribunal judge decides whether to accept it. A content appeal can also be brought after the plan is next amended, for example after an annual review.
Where do the numbers in section F come from?
Only from what you give us: the recommendations in your child's reports, the current plan and your own description of the support your child receives. Every number in the proposed wording is followed by its source. Where a report gives no figure, the wording says [AMOUNT FROM REPORT] and tells you what to ask the professional for. If a number appears that is not in what you entered, the page flags it so you can check it.
Is my child's information safe?
You paste parts of the plan, which usually contain personal details, so we ask you to replace your child's surname with their first name or "my child" and to leave out dates of birth, addresses and NHS numbers. We also remove postcodes, email addresses and phone numbers automatically before anything is sent. What you enter is processed to create your documents and is not kept on our servers afterwards. Your documents are emailed to you, and that email stays in our mailbox until you ask us to delete it. Privacy notice.
What do I need before I start?
The council's letter that came with the final or amended plan, the plan itself (so you can copy sections B, E, F and I), the date of your mediation certificate if you have one and every report listed in section K, plus any newer reports. The questions take about 25 to 30 minutes.
Free guides on appealing the plan
Guidance only, not legal advice. No outcome is guaranteed. Free specialist advice is also available from your local SENDIASS and from IPSEA.
EHC Plan Content Appeal Pack: your answers
Five short steps, about 25 to 30 minutes. Have the council's letter, the final plan and your child's reports to hand. Answer honestly and specifically: we never invent or exaggerate anything, and every number in your documents must come from what you give us.
Step 1 · The appeal
Appealing section F? Tick section B too if a need is missing or wrong: the Tribunal looks for a need in B behind every line of provision in F.
Step 2 · Your child's needs, in your words
Fill in at least one area. Describe what actually happens, with numbers where you know them ("cannot follow an instruction of more than 2 steps", "reads at the level of a Year 2 pupil"). These are your words; we do not add to them.
Step 3 · The plan, word for word
Copy the text from the final plan. Word for word matters: the grounds quote it, and the proposed wording replaces it line by line.
Step 4 · The evidence you hold
List up to 6 reports (the ones in section K and any newer ones). Paste what each one recommends, word for word, with page numbers if you can. This is where the numbers in your proposed section F come from.