EHCPs in Southampton: Refusal Rate and Waiting Times (2026 Data)
Home › EHCPs by Council: Refusal Rates and Waiting Times in England
In 2025, Southampton refused 8.3% of the EHC needs assessment requests it decided, below the England figure of 29.0%, and issued 74.6% of plans inside the legal 20 weeks, better than the England figure of 45.5%. A plan took 20.6 weeks on average. There were 640 children in elective home education in Southampton in the autumn term of 2025/26.
These are Southampton’s own figures, as reported to the Department for Education and published in 2026. They cover calendar year 2025. We have set them next to the England averages so you can see where you actually stand, rather than guessing from what other parents say in a Facebook group.
Southampton at a glance
| Requests for an assessment | 612 | received during 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Agreed to assess | 333 | |
| Refused to assess | 30 | |
| Refusal rate | 8.3% | England 29.0% |
| Assessments carried out | 335 | |
| Assessed but no plan issued | 0.0% | England 6.0% |
| Plans issued within 20 weeks | 74.6% | England 45.5% |
| Average time to issue a plan | 20.6 weeks | England 25.6 weeks |
| Plans taking over a year | 0.0% | England 10.1% |
| Children home educated | 640 | 1.8% of pupils |
Getting an assessment agreed in Southampton
Southampton refused 8.3% of the requests it reached a decision on in 2025, 30 refusals out of 363 decided requests. That ranks it 135th out of 138 councils with reliable figures, counting from the highest refusal rate down.
That is among the lowest refusal rates in England. It is genuinely good news if you are asking for an assessment here, though a council that agrees to assess can still be slow to finish, so read the timing section below before you relax.
Worth holding next to that: across England, of the assessments that were actually carried out, 93.6% resulted in a plan. The assessment stage overwhelmingly confirms that the child qualifies. The decision that most often stops a family is the earlier one, about whether to assess at all.
How long a plan takes in Southampton
Southampton issued 74.6% of its plans inside the legal 20 weeks, better than the England figure of 45.5%. That ranks it 103rd of 150 councils, fastest first.
The average plan took 20.6 weeks, which is 0.6 weeks past the deadline the law sets.
The 20 week limit is not a target or an aspiration. It is set out in regulation 13 of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014. If your council misses it without one of the permitted exceptions applying, that is a breach, and you can complain and ultimately go to the Local Government Ombudsman.
Home education in Southampton
There were 640 children in elective home education in Southampton in the autumn term of 2025/26, which is 1.8% of the pupil population.
That is up 6.7% on the autumn before. Nationally the number rose 12.8% year on year to 126,000.
Across England this is mostly a secondary school phenomenon. Year 11 is the biggest single group, then Year 10 and Year 9. Mental health is the largest recorded reason at 16%, ahead of philosophical or preferential reasons at 12%. If you are considering it because school is not working for a child with SEND, read deregistering with an EHCP first, because the rules are different if the placement is a special school arranged by the council.
If Southampton has said no
A refusal is a decision you can challenge, and given that 93.6% of completed assessments nationally end in a plan, it is worth challenging. The deadline is two months from the decision letter, or one month from your mediation certificate if that date is later.
- Free EHC needs assessment request letter generator. It argues the legal test in section 36(8) of the Children and Families Act 2014, which is a lower bar than councils tend to apply in refusal letters.
- The EHC Assessment Refusal Appeal Pack, if you have already been refused.
- Compare Southampton with every other council in England.
- Everything we have on SEND and EHCPs.
Speak to your local SENDIASS first. It is free, impartial and statutory, and it does not sell you anything. IPSEA’s guidance is the best free legal explanation available.
Common questions about Southampton
How many EHCP requests does Southampton refuse?
In 2025 Southampton refused 30 of the 363 requests it decided, a refusal rate of 8.3%. Across England the figure was 29.0%.
How long does an EHCP take in Southampton?
In 2025, 74.6% of plans in Southampton were issued within the legal 20 weeks, and the average was 20.6 weeks. The legal limit is 20 weeks from the request to the final plan.
What do I do if Southampton refuses to assess my child?
You have two months from the decision letter to appeal to the SEND Tribunal, or one month from your mediation certificate if that falls later. You must contact a mediation adviser first, but you do not have to go through with mediation to get the certificate that lets you appeal. Your local SENDIASS is free and can help you with the paperwork.
How many children are home educated in Southampton?
There were 640 children in elective home education in Southampton in the autumn term of 2025/26, which is 1.8% of pupils.
Sources
- Department for Education, Education, health and care plans, England 2026, calendar year 2025.
- Department for Education, Elective home education, autumn term 2025/26.
- Children and Families Act 2014, section 36.
- The Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014, regulation 13.
This is information, not legal advice
Darling Mellow is a parenting website. We are not solicitors, we are not regulated to give legal advice, and nothing here is advice about your particular child or situation. We write about the law in England, we date everything and we link our sources so you can check them. Deadlines and duties change, and only you know your full circumstances, so please take proper advice before making a decision that matters.
Where to get free or regulated advice
- Your local SENDIASS. Free, confidential and impartial, and every council in England must provide one. Find yours through your council’s SEND Local Offer, or via GOV.UK.
- IPSEA. A charity with legally trained advisers, giving free advice on SEND law in England. Their guidance is the best free legal explanation available.
- Legal aid, through Civil Legal Advice on 0345 345 4345 (Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 12.30pm). Special educational needs is one of the areas still covered. Legal aid can fund advice and help preparing a SEND Tribunal appeal, though not representation at the hearing itself. Check whether you qualify with the official legal aid checker.
- A solicitor regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Find an education law specialist through the Law Society’s Find a Solicitor, and you can confirm anyone is genuinely regulated on the SRA register.
If you are in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland, the law and the services differ and you should use your own nation’s guidance.