Department for Education
Reporting year 2026

Education, health and care plans

Children and young people in England with an education, health and care plan (EHC), including annual local authority activity on EHC requests and assessments.

Latest release

Next release

All releases in this seriesDownload all data (ZIP)Create your own tables
Accredited official statistics
Department for Education
Published
UK statistics authority quality mark

On this page

Skip in page navigation

Explore data used in this release

This page provides a range of routes to access data from within this statistical release to suit different users.

Download all data (ZIP)

This includes all data sets, guidance files and any supporting files

More options

  • Featured tables

    Featured tables are pre-prepared tables created from a statistical release's data sets. They provide statistics that are regularly requested by users and can be adapted to switch between different categories.

  • Data sets: download or create tables

    Data sets present comprehensive open data from which users can create their own tables using the EES table tool or download a zipped CSV file.

  • Supporting files

    Supporting files provide an area for teams to supply non-standard files for download by users where required.

  • Data guidance

    Description of the data sets included in this release, including information on data sources, coverage, quality and any data conventions used.

  • Data catalogue

    Alternatively use our data catalogue to search and filter for specific data sets from this release or our entire library, providing full data summaries, data previews and access to API data sets.

Data sets: download or create tables

Data sets present comprehensive open data from which users can create their own tables using the EES table tool or download a zipped CSV file.

13 data sets available for download

Download all (ZIP)

  • Education, health and care plans as at January each year

    Local authority, National, Regional

    The number of EHC plans active at January, including information on setting attended. It is available by age at the start of each academic year, the age when plan started, ethnicity, sex and length of plan. Data is shown on an academic year basis.

    Number of rows
    37,291
    Indicators
    • Total number of EHC plans
    • Mainstream LA maintained schools
    • Mainstream LA maintained schools - SEN units
    Filters
    • Characteristics of child or young person with EHC plan
    Time period
    2018/19 to 2025/26
    Data set information page for Education, health and care plans as at January each year
    Create table using Education, health and care plans as at January each year

  • Education, health and care plans as at January each year, by primary type of need

    Local authority, National, Regional

    The number of EHC plans active at January each year, by their primary SEN need. This is shown for the type of setting attended, current age, age when plan started, ethnicity, sex and length of plan. Data is shown on an academic year basis.

    Number of rows
    28,402
    Indicators
    • Total number of EHC plans
    • Autistic spectrum disorder
    • Down Syndrome
    Filters
    • Characteristics of child or young person for whom EHC needs assessment requested
    Time period
    2024/25 to 2025/26
    Data set information page for Education, health and care plans as at January each year, by primary type of need
    Create table using Education, health and care plans as at January each year, by primary type of need

  • New education, health and care plans issued during the calendar year

    Local authority, National, Regional

    The number of EHC plans which start during the previous calendar year. This is shown for the type of setting attended, and is available broken down by the age when the plan started, ethnicity and sex. Data is shown on a calendar year basis.

    Number of rows
    18,234
    Indicators
    • Total number of new EHC plans
    • Mainstream LA maintained schools
    • Mainstream LA maintained schools - SEN units
    Filters
    • Characteristics of child or young person with new EHC plan
    Time period
    2019 to 2025
    Data set information page for New education, health and care plans issued during the calendar year
    Create table using New education, health and care plans issued during the calendar year

  • New education, health and care plans issued during the calendar year, by primary type of need

    Local authority, National, Regional

    The number of new EHC plans each year, by their primary SEN need. This is shown for the type of setting attended, age when plan started, ethnicity, and sex. Data is shown on an calendar year basis.

    Number of rows
    19,837
    Indicators
    • Total number of new EHC plans
    • Autistic spectrum disorder
    • Down Syndrome
    Filters
    • Characteristics of child or young person for whom EHC needs assessment requested
    Time period
    2024 to 2025
    Data set information page for New education, health and care plans issued during the calendar year, by primary type of need
    Create table using New education, health and care plans issued during the calendar year, by primary type of need

  • Requests for an education, health and care needs assessment received during the calendar year

    Local authority, National, Regional

    The number of requests for an EHC needs assessment carried out each year. This is shown by request, mediation/tribunals, and statutory timeframes. Data is shown on a calendar year basis. Data is shown on a calendar year basis.

    Number of rows
    20,513
    Indicators
    • Total requests for an EHC needs assessment
    • of which: requests where the child or young person is in relevant youth accommodation
    • Number of requests where LA decided to proceed with an assessment
    Filters
    • Characteristics of request or child or young person for whom EHC needs assessment requested
    Time period
    2019 to 2025
    Data set information page for Requests for an education, health and care needs assessment received during the calendar year
    Create table using Requests for an education, health and care needs assessment received during the calendar year

  • Assessments for an education, health and care plan carried out during the calendar year

    Local authority, National, Regional

    The number of EHC needs assessments carried out each year. Figures are shown by the outcome of assessment, whether a mediation or a tribunal occurred and whether the process met the statutory timeframe. Data is shown on a calendar year basis.

    Number of rows
    18,970
    Indicators
    • Total number of EHC needs assessments
    • Number of assessments where a plan was issued
    • Number of assessments where a plan was not issued
    Filters
    • Characteristics of child or young person for whom EHC needs assessment carried out
    Time period
    2019 to 2025
    Data set information page for Assessments for an education, health and care plan carried out during the calendar year
    Create table using Assessments for an education, health and care plan carried out during the calendar year

  • Timeliness of new education, health and care plans, including those issued within the statutory 20 week timeframe

    Local authority, National, Regional

    The number of plans issued and whether the issue of those plans met the statutory timeframe, both with, and without, exceptions applying. Data is shown on a calendar year basis.

    Number of rows
    21,706
    Indicators
    • Number of EHC plans issued exc. Exeptions
    • Number of EHC plans issued inc. exeptions
    • EHC plans issued within 20 weeks exc. exceptions
    Filters
    • Characteristics of child or young person with EHC plan
    Time period
    2019 to 2025
    Data set information page for Timeliness of new education, health and care plans, including those issued within the statutory 20 week timeframe
    Create table using Timeliness of new education, health and care plans, including those issued within the statutory 20 week timeframe

  • Number of annual reviews of EHC plans

    Local authority, National, Regional

    The number of annual reviews of EHC plans recorded by local authorities during the 2025 calendar year. Data is shown on a calendar year basis.

    Number of rows
    8,388
    Indicators
    • Total number of EHC plans
    • Annual review was expected in 2025
    • Annual review was not expected in 2025
    Filters
    • Characteristics of EHC plan for which annual review is expected
    Time period
    2025
    Data set information page for Number of annual reviews of EHC plans
    Create table using Number of annual reviews of EHC plans

  • Number of phase transfers for EHC plans

    Local authority, National, Regional

    The number of phase transfers of EHC plans recorded by local authorities for the 2026 collection year. Data is shown for the number of phase transfers due in both 2025 and 2026.

    Number of rows
    163
    Indicators
    • EHC plans where a final plan, following a phase transfer review, has been issued in 2025
    • EHC plans where a final plan, following a phase transfer review, has been issued in 2026
    • EHC plans where a phase transfer review was due in 2025
    Time period
    2025
    Data set information page for Number of phase transfers for EHC plans
    Create table using Number of phase transfers for EHC plans

  • Personal budgets

    Local authority, National, Regional

    The number of EHC plans where there is personal budget in place. This is broken down by age, sex, ethnicity and the type of setting attended. Figures are shown as at January each year, on an academic year basis.

    Number of rows
    38,909
    Indicators
    • Total EHC plans with personal budget in place
    • Personal budget covers education only
    • Personal budget covers health only
    Filters
    • Characteristics of residential placements
    Time period
    2019/20 to 2025/26
    Data set information page for Personal budgets
    Create table using Personal budgets

  • Residential placements

    Local authority, National, Regional

    The number of residential placements, broken down by age, sex, ethnicity and the type of setting attended. Figures are shown as at January each year, on an academic year basis.

    Number of rows
    39,071
    Indicators
    • Total number of residential settings
    • Number of residential settings between 38 and 51 weeks
    • Number of residential settings for 52 weeks
    Filters
    • Characteristics of residential placements
    Time period
    2018/19 to 2025/26
    Data set information page for Residential placements
    Create table using Residential placements

  • Work placed placements

    Local authority, National, Regional

    The number of work based placements each year, by age, sex, ethnicity and the type of setting attended. Figures are shown as at January, on an academic year basis, and also work based placements which were active in the previous calendar year.

    Number of rows
    24,335
    Indicators
    • Total work based placements
    • Apprenticeships
    • Supported internships
    Filters
    • Characteristics of young people with a work based placement
    Time period
    2024/25 to 2025/26
    Data set information page for Work placed placements
    Create table using Work placed placements

  • Education, health and care plans which ceased during the calendar year

    Local authority, National, Regional

    The number of plans which ceased each year, and the reason why they ceased. This is broken down by the age when the plan ceased, sex, ethnicity, length of time plan in place and the last setting attended. Data is shown on an calendar year basis.

    Number of rows
    35,999
    Indicators
    • Total number of ceased EHC plans
    • Number where maximum age reached
    • Number moved to higher education
    Filters
    • Characteristics of child or young person where plan has ceased
    Time period
    2022 to 2025
    Data set information page for Education, health and care plans which ceased during the calendar year
    Create table using Education, health and care plans which ceased during the calendar year
Back to top

Supporting files

Supporting files provide an area for teams to supply non-standard files for download by users where required.

2 supporting data files

Back to top

Data guidance

Description of the data sets included in this release, including information on data sources, coverage, quality and any data conventions used.

Data guidance

Description of the data sets included in this release, including information on data sources, coverage, quality and any data conventions used.

Description

This document describes the data included in the Education, health and care (EHC) plans National Statistics release’s underlying data files. This data is released under the terms of the Open Government License and is intended to meet at least 3 stars for Open Data. The methodology document should be referenced alongside this data. It provides information on the data sources, their coverage and quality as well as explaining methodology used in producing the data.

Coverage

This release provides information on various stages of the EHC plan process including: 

  • The number of active EHC plans at January of the calendar year
  • The number of new EHC plans issued during previous calendar year
  • The number of requests for an EHC needs assessment received during the previous calendar year
  • The number of EHC needs assessments completed during in the previous calendar year
  • The type of primary need named in the EHC plan, for both active EHC plans at January and new plans issued during the previous calendar year 
  • The number of plans issued with the statutory timeframe during the previous calendar year
  • The number of EHC plans where a personal budget is in place 
  • The number of work based placements - this includes supported internships, apprenticeships and traineeships.
  • The number of residential placements
  • The number of annual reviews and phase transfers 
  • The number of plans which ceased during the the previous calendar year 

Data sources 

In 2023 the source of data on EHC plans changed. Prior to 2023 the data collection was local authority level  with aggregated data being collected for a range of indicators and outcomes from each local authority. 

In 2023 the collection changed to individual level. The local authority returns information on:

  • Each request for an EHC needs assessments and its outcome 
  • Each EHC needs assessment carried out and its outcome 
  • The content of all plans, this includes the type of special educational need, the setting named in plan, the setting attended, the date the plan started or ceased, annual reviews which have taken place and features of the plan such as personal budgets and residential placements.
  • Personal details of the child or young person with a request, assessment or plan in place

This individual level data is then aggregated to calculate national, regional and local authority totals. 

This change in data source has necessitated a change in how figures are presented and how the time series of data is shown. Some data items collected in the pre-2023 aggregate collection are no longer available while the individual data now collected allows a much richer and increased range of detailed analysis to be produced. As such there has been a break in the time series. In 2014, changes to the SEN code of Practice (opens in new tab) (opens in new tab) replaced statements of special educational needs (SEN) and Learning Difficulty Assessments (LDAs) with Education, Health and Care (EHC) plans. Those with a statement of SEN were converted to EHC plans. This process was completed by 2018. Therefore the time series included in this publication begins at 2019. Data for the years prior to 2019 remains available.  The 2024 edition of this statistical release includes information on EHC plans prior to 2019 plus information on statements of SEN for each year from 2010. Where previous data exists figures have been given to provide a time series of covering each of the 7 years from 2018/19. 

File formats and conventions

The dataset and outputs have not had suppression or rounding applied

The following convention is used throughout the underlying data. 

z - Not applicable

x - unavailable

Data files

All data files associated with this releases are listed below with guidance on their content. To download any of these files, please visit our data catalogue.

Back to top

Contact us

If you have a specific enquiry about Education, health and care plans statistics and data:

School Census Statistics team

Email: sen.statistics@education.gov.uk
Contact name: Special Educational Needs statistics lead

Press office

If you have a media enquiry:

Telephone: 020 7783 8300

Public enquiries

If you have a general enquiry about the Department for Education (DfE) or education:

Phone: 0370 000 2288

Opening times

Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 5.30pm (closed on bank holidays)

Back to top