The Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Tribunal has confirmed that a new operational pilot will start on 17 August 2026. The “One Touch” Case Management Pilot will apply only to Section I appeals, where the appeal concerns the school or placement named in an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).
Under this pilot, Section I appeals registered on or after 17 August 2026 will not be given provisional hearing dates upon registration. Instead, the parties will receive standard case management directions setting out the timetable for preparing the final bundle and filing evidence.
During the initial stages of the appeal, the Tribunal have stated that they will not generally deal with interim Requests for Change and once the final bundle deadline passes, (usually 12-16 weeks after registration), then a Legal Officer, Registrar or a Judge will conduct a Case Review. After this review, if the case is ready to proceed, then the Tribunal will issue directions listing the matter for the next available hearing date or directing it to Judicial Alternative Dispute Resolution (JADR). Further directions will be issued by the Tribunal if the case is not ready to be heard.
The pilot is intended to improve case management and release hearing capacity across the Tribunal and overall, in straightforward placement disputes, the process will hopefully lead to a shorter timetable. However, this will depend upon available hearing dates provided by the Tribunal and currently there is a delay of 18 months in waiting for a hearing to be listed. Compliance with the Tribunal deadlines will be key in these cases, as the Case Review will take place after the final bundle deadline.
Expert witnesses may have less notice of when a hearing will take place and therefore discussions for early planning at the outset of these cases will be paramount.
Despite the above, there is still need for a careful review of the matter when an appeal to SEND is lodged and thorough thought should be given to deciding whether to include Sections B and F into the appeal. If you require help as to whether your appeal should be a standalone Section I appeal or should include Section B and Section F also, then please contact our Education Team on: 0800 044 8488, we shall be happy to help.
How can we help
At Enable Law, we are committed to supporting families to secure the education and support their children are entitled to throughout this evolving SEND landscape.
Our specialised education team has decades of experience helping families secure and maintain the right education provision for their child/young person. To speak with Shannen Raynor-Dewis or a member of our education team and have an initial free discussion about your concerns and how we can help call us on 0800 044 8488 or fill in our contact form.
