Phase Transfer Guidance for those with an EHCP in 2025
The term “Phase Transfer” applies to those children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCP) who are transferring between various phases of education:
- Early years to school
- Primary school to middle school
- Infant to Junior School
- Junior to Secondary School
- Middle to secondary school
- Secondary to Post 16 education
In order to transfer the EHCP from one school to another, the LA has to go through a formal legal process. This is known as the phase transfer review process.
As your child is part of the phase transfer cohort, meaning transferring to a new school in September 2025 and has an EHCP, their school allocation is administrated by the Birmingham Special Education Needs and Review Service (SENAR).
This section aims to provide information on the process, such as next steps for parents, carers and young people and how they can submit their preferences for a new school for September 2025.
Chose from the following options to find out more.
It is important that you start to consider which school you would like your child to attend. If you have a specific school in mind, it would be advisable to contact them and arrange a visit to discuss your child’s special educational need. They will be able to help you make an informed decision when making your preferences. It is also advisable to involve the SENCo from your child’s current school.
All schools have information that explains the curriculum, facilities and what they aim to achieve for their pupils, along with the school’s local SEND offer to pupils with identified special educational needs. The school’s website is the best place to find this information.
For more information on schools in the area, please use the link below which will take you to the Birmingham Schools directory. This link enables you to search schools by type and, if you enter your postcode, it will tell you how close the school is to your address.
As the parent or carer, you may express a preference for which maintained school, academy, or free school, (mainstream or special), non‑maintained special school, or Section 41 approved independent school you would like your child to attend. You can also make representations for any other type of setting such as independent schools (not S.41 approved).
When you express a preference for a setting, the local authority must name the setting in your child’s EHCP unless:
- It would be unsuitable for the age, ability, aptitude or special educational needs of the child or young person
- The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient education of others
- The attendance of the child or young person would be incompatible with the efficient use of resources.
As part of the process, the local authority will also consult with settings it considers appropriate for your child. This is because the local authority must consult with any setting before naming it in an EHCP and, in the event we cannot name your preferred setting, the local authority will name a setting or type of setting which it considers appropriate for your child.
If we do not receive preferences, the local authority will also consult with local appropriate settings so we can name a setting or type of setting which we consider appropriate for your child by the statutory deadline – 15 February 2025. For young people transferring to Post 16 provision, the statutory deadline to name a setting or type of setting is 31 March 2025.
Where a change of placement type is requested such as from mainstream to a resource base or special school, the local authority will require updated, triangulated, professional evidence regarding your child’s needs and the provision they require. This would usually be gathered via your child’s annual review, and we would advise you to discuss this with your child’s current school. The requests for a change of type of placement will then be considered by a multi-agency and multi-professional panel.
As part of the process, you will be given a specific preference form to complete, known as the SENAR Phase Transfer Preference Form for pupils with an Education, Health, and Care Plan (EHCP).
- Reception Phase Transfer – The letters and preference forms have been sent directly to parents on 4 June 2024.
- Junior Phase Transfer – The letters and preference forms have been sent directly to parents 4 June 2024.
- Secondary Transfer – The letters and preference forms have been sent directly to parents, and your child’s current school, on 3 June 2024.
- Key Stage 5 Transfer – The preference forms will be issued to parents and your child’s current school in September 2024.
Preference forms for newly-finalised EHC plans will be sent to parents after the EHC plan is issued.
The form will contain your child’s information, such as their name, date of birth and address. It will also provide space for you, or the young person, to fill in up to two preferences for their choice of setting for September 2025.
Please note that, as your child has an EHCP, you do not need to complete the online preference form via the Admissions and Appeals process. Any preferences logged via the online process may not be counted, so it is important that you use the specific SENAR form provided instead.
The completed form should be returned to your child’s current setting or directly to the SENAR address provided on the form.
If you would like to request a preference form, please send an email to senar.transfers@birmingham.gov.uk. Please include your child’s full name, date of birth and the school setting they are currently attending.
If you have any queries in relation to the September 2025 Phase Transfer Process, you can send an email to senar.transfers@birmingham.gov.uk.