Four Clocks, One Deadline: The 15 February Date SENCOs Miss

"Quick word about Alfie?" — it's never quick, and it's never just Alfie. This one's for the September SENCO: the EHCP annual review cycle as the SEND Code of Practice actually writes it — the twelve-month minimum, the four interlocking clocks around every meeting (two weeks' notice, papers two weeks before, report two weeks after, the authority's four-week decision), and The Number: 15 February, the phase-transfer deadline that's won or lost in the autumn term. Plus the money behind the provision map: September's 3.5% teacher pay award, the 3.3% offered to support staff, the ~1% schools must absorb from their own budgets, and the £200m SEND CPD pot worth asking about by name.

Actions for consideration:

• Open your review list in week one: get every transfer-year EHCP review booked into the diary before Christmas — the 15 February deadline is won or lost in the autumn term.
• Build the four clocks into your planning: 2 weeks' notice, papers 2 weeks before, report 2 weeks after, LA decision within 4 weeks.
• Distribute review prep across heads of year rather than holding all thirty plans alone (secondary); front-load transfer-year reviews (specialist).
• Ask for your school's share of the £200m+ SEND CPD funding by name when the training budget conversation happens.
• Don't wait for the 2029/2030 reforms — this year's reviews run entirely on the 2015 Code of Practice.
• The second voice on this show is synthesised (NotebookLM, Google) — the research, reading and editorial judgement are done by a serving practitioner.
• Printable one-pager for this episode, free: https://theeducationcommute.co.uk/#newsletter-staff
• Two free newsletters, one for staff and one for parents and carers, same evidence written for the person reading it.
• Strand: Leaders