EHCP reports contain some of the most sensitive pupil information a school handles, which means AI use here needs a firm boundary: never paste identifiable pupil information, assessment data, or specific needs into a public AI tool.
Where AI can still help
- Drafting a generic report section structure (without any pupil content) that staff then complete
- Improving the clarity of a sentence you've already written yourself, with names replaced by "the pupil" before pasting
- Generating a bank of professional, non-pupil-specific phrasing for common target areas
The bottom line
Treat EHCP and SEND report writing the same way you'd treat any highly sensitive document — the content and judgement stay entirely with qualified staff, and AI's role is limited to structural or generic support that never touches an identifiable child's actual data.
A practical anonymisation habit
If you want AI's help tightening the language of a section you've drafted, get into the habit of a full find-and-replace pass first: real name becomes "the pupil," specific school and setting names become "the setting," any date of birth or specific dates become "the relevant date." Only then paste it in — and remove the placeholder text again once you get the improved wording back.
Key takeaways
- Never paste identifiable pupil data into a public AI tool for EHCP work.
- Anonymise fully first if you want help with phrasing or clarity.
- Judgement and content responsibility always stay with qualified SEND staff.