Significant changes are on the horizon for the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Tribunal, with a new Practice Direction set to impact all final hearings scheduled after July 15, 2025. The core focus of this directive is a substantial reduction in paperwork, posing both a challenge and a potential benefit for parties involved in appeals.
The biggest change is the introduction of strict page limits for key documents. The core bundle of evidence will now be capped at 100 pages. Furthermore, the Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, including its appendices, will be limited to 150 pages.
While parties can submit supporting evidence, this too will be subject to specific page restrictions depending on the nature of the appeal:
- Refusal to conduct an EHC Needs Assessment/reassessment: 75 pages per party.
- Refusal to issue an EHC Plan: 100 pages per party.
- Appeal against Section B (educational needs) and/or Section F (special educational provision): 100 pages in total per party.
- Appeal against Section I (placement): 75 pages per party.
The new directive also targets the length of expert reports and witness statements. Expert reports must now include a concise executive summary of no more than two pages and cannot exceed a total of 15 pages.
Witness statements, excluding any accompanying exhibits, are limited to 10 pages, unless a well-justified reason for exceeding this limit is provided in a separate note.
Finally, the working document, a crucial tool for focusing discussions during hearings, must not exceed 25 pages of A4.
The Practice Direction explicitly states that these page limits are not a target, emphasizing that smaller bundles are strongly encouraged.
This highlights the primary aim of the changes: to reduce the often overwhelming volume of documentation presented in SEN Tribunal appeals.
These new rules represent a significant shift in approach and will undoubtedly require parties to be more selective and concise in the evidence they present. Given the often-extensive nature of EHC Plans and expert reports, adhering to these limits will present a considerable challenge. However, the intended outcome is a more efficient and focused hearing process. Whether the new system is going to help simplify the process of make it harder for parents is yet to be seen.
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