How to keep a SEND school communication and evidence record
Keep one simple, dated record of important SEND communications, agreed actions, provision and evidence of progress. The aim is not to document every school day; it is to make it easy to see what was agreed, what happened and what changed over time.
SEND law and local procedures can change. Check the current official guidance and your local authority’s process before acting.
Why a record helps
The SEND Code says schools should keep records of outcomes, actions and support agreed with parents, give parents a copy, and keep SEN provision information accurate and up to date.
A parent’s own organised record can help when preparing for SEN Support reviews, EHC needs assessment requests, annual reviews or discussions about provision.
A simple five-part folder
- 1. Current plans: the latest SEN Support plan, provision map, EHC plan or school support document.
- 2. Meetings: dates, attendees, brief notes and agreed actions from SENCO or review meetings.
- 3. Provision: what support was agreed, frequency, who provides it and any known changes or missed sessions.
- 4. Reports and assessments: school reports, specialist reports and relevant health or therapy advice.
- 5. Key correspondence: important emails or letters about decisions, requests, deadlines or changes to support.
Use a one-line communication log
- For each important contact, record the date, who was involved, the issue, what was agreed and the next action. Keep it factual.
- Example: “12 Sep — SENCO meeting — reading intervention reviewed — school to send updated plan by 19 Sep — parent to provide new SALT report.”
- You do not need to save every routine message. Prioritise communications that show a decision, agreed action, change in need, change in provision or evidence of impact.
What to do after a meeting
- Send a short follow-up email confirming the main actions and review date. If your understanding differs from the school’s, say so politely and identify the point that needs correcting.
- Store documents using dates at the start of file names, for example “2026-09-12-SENCO-meeting-notes.pdf”. This makes the timeline much easier to follow later.
Protect privacy
Keep records securely and avoid sharing a child’s personal information more widely than necessary. When asking for informal support online, remove names, school details, reference numbers and other identifying information.
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