The EHCP Breakdown and Translation Process

This process can be broken down into four key phases:

1. Deconstruction: Understanding the structure and identifying the core components.

2. Extraction & Analysis: Pulling out the key information and identifying the "Golden Thread."

3. Translation & Action Planning: Creating the "Actionable Roadmap."

4. Implementation & Review: Putting the plan into practice and monitoring its impact.

Phase 1: Deconstruction - Know Your Document

First, ensure everyone involved understands the purpose of each section of the EHCP. This provides the context for the entire breakdown.

• Section A: The Views, Interests and Aspirations of the child and their parents. (The "Why") - This is the heart of the plan. It's the student's voice.

• Section B: Special Educational Needs (SEN). (The "What") - A detailed list of the child’s difficulties or barriers to learning.

• Section C: Health Needs related to SEN.

• Section D: Social Care Needs related to SEN.

• Section E: Outcomes. (The "Goal") - What the plan aims to achieve. These should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART).

• Section F: Special Educational Provision. (The "How") - The specific support required to meet the needs (B) and achieve the outcomes (E). This is the most legally important section for schools.

• Section G: Health Provision.

• Section H1/H2: Social Care Provision.

• Section I: Placement. (The school named).

• Section J: Personal Budget.

• Section K: Appendices. (Reports from professionals, e.g., Ed Psych, SALT).

Phase 2: Extraction & Analysis - Finding the "Golden Thread"

The core of an effective EHCP is the "Golden Thread" that connects Needs, Outcomes, and Provisions. Your analysis must trace this thread.

Your Method:

1. Get Three Highlighters: Assign a colour to each core element.

   • YELLOW for Needs (Section B)

   • GREEN for Outcomes (Section E)

   • PINK for Provisions (Section F)

2. Read and Highlight: Go through the EHCP and highlight every need, outcome, and provision in its respective colour.

3. Connect the Dots: Now, start linking them. For every Need (Yellow) you highlighted in Section B, find the corresponding Outcome (Green) in Section E that addresses it, and the Provision (Pink) in Section F that details the support.

   • Example:

     • Need (B): "Difficulty processing and retaining verbal instructions."

     • Outcome (E): "By the end of Year 4, [Student] will be able to follow a 3-part verbal instruction independently in 80% of opportunities."

     • Provision (F): "Use of visual aids and now/next boards to supplement verbal instructions. Staff to use chunking and repetition."

This process ensures you understand why a certain provision is in place and what it is trying to achieve.

Phase 3: Translation - Creating the Actionable Roadmap

This is where you translate the legal language of the EHCP into a practical tool for daily use. A simple table or spreadsheet is the most effective format.

Create a document titled "[Student's Name] - EHCP Action Plan & Roadmap".

The Roadmap Template:

EHCP Need (from Section B)

Desired Outcome (from Section E)

Specific Provision (from Section F)

EHCP Need (from Section B)

Desired Outcome (from Section E)

Specific Provision (from Section F)

Actionable Strategy / Task (The "How-To")

Who is Responsible?

Frequency / When?

How We'll Track Progress

Actionable Strategy / Task (The "How-To")

Who is Responsible?

Frequency / When?

How We'll Track Progress

e.g., Difficulty with social interaction & understanding social cues.

e.g., Will join a group activity at breaktime with minimal adult prompting, once per week by the end of term.

e.g., Access to a targeted social skills group. Pre-teaching of social expectations for unstructured times.

e.g., Difficulty with social interaction & understanding social cues.

e.g., Will join a group activity at breaktime with minimal adult prompting, once per week by the end of term.

e.g., Access to a targeted social skills group. Pre-teaching of social expectations for unstructured times.

1. Timetable for 20-min Social Skills group with [TA Name].<br>2. Create/use Social Stories for playground rules.<br>3. TA to model joining in at the start of breaktime.

1. SENCO/TA<br>2. Class Teacher<br>3. Break Duty TA

1. Tue, 11:00 am<br>2. Mon AM<br>3. Daily

Observation notes in student's file. Tally chart of successful interactions. Student self-reflection (e.g., smiley face chart).

1. Timetable for 20-min Social Skills group with [TA Name].<br>2. Create/use Social Stories for playground rules.<br>3. TA to model joining in at the start of breaktime.

1. SENCO/TA<br>2. Class Teacher<br>3. Break Duty TA

1. Tue, 11:00 am<br>2. Mon AM<br>3. Daily

Observation notes in student's file. Tally chart of successful interactions. Student self-reflection (e.g., smiley face chart).

e.g., Working memory deficit impacting multi-step tasks.

e.g., Will independently complete a 3-step classroom task using a visual checklist.

e.g., Provision of visual timetables and task checklists. Chunking of instructions by staff.

e.g., Working memory deficit impacting multi-step tasks.

e.g., Will independently complete a 3-step classroom task using a visual checklist.

e.g., Provision of visual timetables and task checklists. Chunking of instructions by staff.

1. Create laminated, reusable checklists for routine tasks (e.g., "Getting ready for English").<br>2. Staff to give instructions one at a time.<br>3. Use a "First, Then, Next" board for lesson activities.

1. Class TA<br>2. All Staff<br>3. Class Teacher

1. Daily<br>2. Consistently<br>3. During lesson inputs

Work samples showing completion of tasks. Photos of completed checklists. Reduction in prompts needed (data).

1. Create laminated, reusable checklists for routine tasks (e.g., "Getting ready for English").<br>2. Staff to give instructions one at a time.<br>3. Use a "First, Then, Next" board for lesson activities.

1. Class TA<br>2. All Staff<br>3. Class Teacher

1. Daily<br>2. Consistently<br>3. During lesson inputs

Work samples showing completion of tasks. Photos of completed checklists. Reduction in prompts needed (data).

Breaking Down the Columns:

• Actionable Strategy / Task: This is your translation. It turns the vague "provision of visual aids" into "Create a laminated A5 checklist with Velcro symbols for Maths, English, and break time." It’s specific, concrete, and tells staff exactly what to do.

• Who is Responsible?: Name a role (or a specific person). This creates accountability. "All staff" is okay for some things, but "Lead TA" or "Class Teacher" is better.

• Frequency / When?: Be precise. "Daily at 9:05 am," "Start of every Maths lesson," "Twice weekly."

• How We'll Track Progress: This links back to the Outcome. How will you know if the strategy is working? This provides the evidence for Annual Reviews. Examples: observation notes, data/tally charts, work samples, photos/videos, student feedback.

Phase 4: Implementation & Review - Making it a Living Document

A roadmap is useless if it stays in a folder.

1. Distribution & Training:

   • Share a one-page summary or the full roadmap with every single person who works with the student (Class Teacher, TAs, Subject Teachers, Lunchtime Supervisors).

   • Hold a brief meeting to walk them through it, explaining the "Golden Thread" and the specific strategies. Don't just email it.

2. Integration into Planning:

   • The Class Teacher should use this roadmap to inform their weekly lesson planning, differentiation, and classroom setup.

   • TAs should use it to guide their 1:1 or small group support sessions.

3. Regular, Informal Reviews (The "Check-in"):

   • Do not wait for the Annual Review.

   • Schedule brief, termly or half-termly check-ins with the core team (e.g., Teacher, TA, SENCO).

   • Use the roadmap as the agenda. Go line by line: "How is the social skills group going? What does the progress data show? Do we need to tweak the approach?"

4. Gather Evidence:

   • Continuously collect the evidence you listed in the "How We'll Track Progress" column. Store it in a dedicated student folder (digital or physical). This makes the Annual Review process incredibly simple and evidence-based.

By following this systematic process, you move the EHCP from a compliance document to the powerful, student-centred tool it is intended to be, creating a clear path for staff and better outcomes for the child.