ÌÇÐÄvlog

Young people who have attended their annual reviews told us:

• ‘I feel listened to when I want to change something’
• ‘I like to choose what goes on the plan’
• ‘It makes me think about who I am and what I want when I get older’
• ‘It helps new teachers or LSPs (Learning Support Practitioners), know about me and why I’m different’   

 Some young  people also told us about when they do not feel involved:  

• ‘Sometimes I feel ignored. Like, they talk about me but not with me’
• ‘I feel listened to. Not much changes in my plan’
• ‘I don’t know much about it. I just know that it is looked at each year to see if I need anything else’
• ‘My mum does it for me’
• ‘I am not sure if I have one’ 

What children and young people like from there annual reviews are:

• having favourite snacks and drinks at the meeting
• being able to talk about what is important to me
• using colourful markers on the pieces of paper, ‘not just black pen’
• less ‘busy’ walls in the room where the meeting is held
• being able to choose background music for the review meeting
• cards to communicate, for example, red or green to indicate like or not like, or other visual supports
• time to process information
• understanding by adults of signs of stress
• fidget toys
• not to be interrupted when talking

All professionals involved in the young person’s life should contribute to the review. To enable that to happen, the co-ordinator of the annual review should give sufficient notice of the meeting to professionals; this should be at least one term, but ideally mapping out your views over the year to allow for professionals to attend or provide updates as needed.

Get to know your students well, gather their views, and invite them to their review. Allow them to stay as long as they feel comfortable and use different methods, such as photos, to express their views. If they can’t attend, ensure someone speaks for them during the meeting.

Provide clear timelines for the next steps, including what will happen in Year 10 and beyond. If the local college meets their needs, travel is covered; otherwise, they must cover travel costs for further courses. Be aware of future options at the end of Year 11 or 13 to 14 and provide signposting for further study, employment, or social care.

Share information on the Life Beyond School event and any transition planning events your setting is organising. Be honest about the option of not being in education after 19 and discuss if Social Care needs to be involved earlier.

Have honest conversations about realistic outcomes, especially if full-time employment is not feasible, to ensure timely consideration of other services. Involve key professionals like social care when relevant, and plan annual review meetings in advance for input from all involved.

Seek careers advice before the AR meeting to guide forward planning based on the young person’s aspirations. Discuss community inclusion activities, update attendance figures, and tailor the conversation based on age and focus on progress towards PfA outcomes.

Ensure individual plans are reviewed at least termly and align with the PfA Outcomes Framework.