Write a plan that someone can deliver
For each priority, record the classroom difficulty, the pupil's intended action and the support staff will provide. 'Improve listening' leaves too much to interpretation; 'follow the two pictured steps when starting practical work' makes the demand clearer.
Include a brief starting-point example and decide what work or observation will inform the review. Keep responsibilities clear when several adults share a pupil's timetable. A plan should help teaching happen, not duplicate a long assessment narrative. Writing a useful outcome helps separate the pupil's goal from adult actions.
Write a small number of meaningful outcomes linked directly to provision that staff can actually deliver and review.
Gather the pupil’s view wherever possible and include what family and school staff notice. Look for patterns in task demands, language, people, place, time of day and the amount of adult support. This helps distinguish a recurring barrier from an isolated difficult moment and makes support easier to target.
What to try in school
For this SEN support question, begin with assess-plan-do-review, pupil voice and concise evidence. Choose one or two changes that staff can apply consistently. Explain the plan to the pupil in accessible language and make sure the support does not inadvertently remove opportunities to practise an emerging skill.
Keep the response proportionate. A useful adjustment should make the important part of school more accessible, not simply make every demand disappear. Where an adult is involved, use the least intrusive prompt that enables success and reduce that support as the pupil becomes more confident.
How to review impact
Judge impact through evidence of improved access, progress and independence. Compare the pupil with their own baseline rather than with classmates. Useful evidence might include frequency, level of prompting, work completed, participation, distress, attendance or a simple pupil rating, depending on the issue.
If the plan is not helping, check whether it was delivered consistently and whether the original explanation of the difficulty still makes sense. The next step may be to adapt the environment, teach a missing skill, alter the level of prompting or gather more information. Simply adding more of an ineffective support rarely resolves the problem.
Working with the pupil and family
Ask what feels most difficult and what has helped before. Pupils often identify practical details that adults miss. Families can also provide important information about patterns outside school, preparation before the day and the impact of school demands afterwards. Different accounts do not necessarily conflict; they may show that the pupil copes differently in different contexts.
When to consider further SEN support
If the difficulty remains significant despite well-matched, consistently delivered classroom support, bring the evidence into the school’s graduated response. The SENCo can help clarify the barrier, coordinate provision and decide whether specialist advice is needed. Support should remain linked to identified educational need rather than waiting for a diagnostic label.
Further reading
GOV.UK: Children with special educational needs and disabilities
Education Endowment Foundation: Special Education Needs in Mainstream Schools
Use these resources alongside knowledge of the individual pupil and school context.
These articles offer general guidance for school staff. They do not assess or diagnose an individual child or replace advice based on that child’s circumstances. Use professional judgement and your school’s policies when deciding what support is appropriate.
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