When an intervention isn’t working

The usual response is to try something different. Sometimes that is the right decision. First, though, it helps to find out what has actually happened during the current approach.

1. Is the target small and clear enough?

“Improve reading” is an important aim, but it is too broad to teach or review in a short intervention. A target such as accurately reading a particular set of high-frequency words gives the adult and pupil something concrete to practise. Check that the pupil has the prerequisite skills and that the target matters for their everyday learning.

When a programme seems to fail, begin by checking what question it was designed to answer and whether that remains the pupil's main barrier. A pupil may learn the practised words but still struggle to read a text because comprehension, vocabulary or fluency is difficult too. Ask the pupil what feels different, review a fresh work sample and compare it with the original target. Resist the temptation to add a second and third programme before understanding the first one's result.

If the skill has several parts, isolate one part initially. For example, a pupil who cannot yet blend sounds reliably may need practice with blending before being asked to read a long list of unfamiliar words.

2. What was delivered in practice?

Look at the record of sessions rather than the planned timetable. How often did the pupil practise? Were sessions brief and focused? Was the same approach used consistently? Illness, staff absence, competing activities and a changing target can make it hard to judge the intervention fairly.

Hold a short review with the teacher and delivering adult. Put the starting sample, later sample, attendance and teaching record on the table. If sessions were frequently missed, protect delivery and retest before judging the approach. If delivery was consistent and the pupil did not learn the specific skill, change the teaching method, level of support or target. If the skill improved but did not appear in class, plan an explicit transfer opportunity with the class teacher rather than treating the score as a complete outcome.

Ask the adult delivering it what they have noticed. The pupil’s response matters too: do they understand the task, experience success and know what they are working towards?

3. What does progress look like?

A starting score and an occasional review can miss small but useful changes. For a tightly defined skill, recording a brief measure each session can show whether performance is improving, staying flat or varying widely. Choose a measure that genuinely reflects the skill you are teaching; a rising practice score is only useful if the pupil can also use the skill where it matters.

A helpful review question is: “What would we expect to see if this support were working, and where would we see it?”

Decide what to adjust

If the target was too broad, narrow it. If practice was inconsistent, address the delivery before judging effectiveness. If the pupil practises regularly and the record remains flat, change the teaching approach or ask for a closer look at the barriers. Bring the pupil’s and family’s views into the review where appropriate.

Keep a short note of what you decided and why. It makes the next assess–plan–do–review cycle more useful and helps the staff involved work from the same understanding.

A worked example

A Year 2 pupil attends a phonics intervention regularly but a repeated word list shows little progress. The TA reports that the list contains several spellings the pupil has not yet been taught. The teacher checks which sound–spelling correspondences are secure, selects appropriate new material and models the relevant blending step. Staff keep a short record of teaching and test unfamiliar words using the taught patterns after a planned period. The original data identified a mismatch; repeating the same list more often would not resolve it.

Review progress

Make one reasoned change at a time where practical. Record the revised target, what will be delivered, and how to tell whether it helps. If there is little progress despite an appropriate and consistently delivered approach, discuss further advice with the SENCo while continuing purposeful classroom support. Consider the costs too: a pupil repeatedly missing a favourite lesson for an ineffective intervention may lose participation without benefit. Explain the decision to the pupil and family in ordinary language.

What does the evidence tell us?

EEF implementation guidance emphasises fit, delivery and monitoring when schools introduce an approach. EEF SEND guidance supports reviewing individual teaching response. These principles favour a clear change informed by evidence, not automatic escalation to more hours of the same unsuitable activity.

This article offers general guidance for school practice. Decisions about a particular pupil should reflect their individual needs and the information available to the school.