The national EHCP template: Why true consistency is the key to transforming SEND support

England’s SEND system is on the brink of one of its most important reforms: a national EHCP template that delivers on the promise of consistency, clarity, and quality for all. Introduced in the 2023 SEND and AP Improvement Plan (DfE, 2023), the proposal has sparked hope across the sector — and rightly so.

But with the Department for Education’s EHCP Reform Team still piloting the Change Programme, the question is: how quickly can we deliver the consistency families have waited too long for?

Beyond the postcode lottery: The case for standardisation

For too long, a child’s access to support has depended on geography. The proposed national EHCP template directly addresses this issue by introducing:

• Consistent quality standards
• A shared framework for multi-agency collaboration
• Portability and clarity for families navigating complex systems

Organisations such as IPSEA and leading SEND practitioners have expressed strong support for the approach, noting that a national standard enables fair, lawful, and needs-led decision-making.

How national templates drive improvement

When implemented effectively, a national EHCP framework will:

• Eliminate local disparities in plan quality and expectations
• Provide families with confidence that support is not subject to location
• Support workforce development through aligned training and clear professional standards
• Enable portability, ensuring EHCPs are actionable and recognised across local authorities
• Improve data for national evaluation and continuous improvement

This mirrors the impact of national frameworks in education, health, and social care, including the National Curriculum and NICE guidelines — both of which have improved outcomes by combining consistency with local adaptability.

Addressing implementation: challenges and solutions

Concerns about national implementation are valid, but not insurmountable. With the right approach, we can embed equity without losing local context. Key success factors include:

• Co-production with children, young people, families, and professionals
• Phased rollouts to refine the approach based on feedback
• Robust training and support for local authority teams
• Ongoing quality assurance that promotes learning, not just compliance

The SEND Change Programme is already demonstrating a thoughtful, inclusive approach, working with local authorities to test new models and build capability.

National consistency isn’t about one-size-fits-all. It’s about one-standard-for-all, with local flexibility built in.

The opportunity ahead

The national EHCP template represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform SEND outcomes. By delivering consistency without losing nuance, it will:

• Raise the quality of EHCPs across all authorities
• Support local teams to focus on what matters: children’s needs
• Empower families with transparency and confidence
• Enable national learning through structured, comparable data

Supporting the vision in practice: How VITA can help

As the sector prepares for national standardisation, tools like VITA by Invision360 offer a practical way forward. Instead of drafting EHCPs entirely from scratch, VITA generates high-quality first drafts directly from professional reports and advice,  fully referenced, aligned to national best practice, and structured around a single template based on the DfE’s Change Programme template.

SEND professionals retain full editorial control, ensuring local nuance, professional judgment, and compliance are always maintained. It's a scalable solution designed to accelerate consistency, save time, and maintain quality.