What does good classroom provision for getting started without repeated prompts look like?

Check the specific barrier

Check what the pupil can do before an adult intervenes. Identify whether the adult is supplying the answer, reminding the pupil of a strategy or helping them access information they cannot yet manage alone.

Plan the next level of support

Specify what the pupil will attempt before an adult intervenes and what cue will be offered if needed. Reduce one unnecessary prompt at a time, checking that success is maintained. A pupil who independently uses a checklist, communication aid or other access support is exercising independence, even when that resource remains available.

Adapt teaching and support

Model an unfamiliar skill, practise it together and then give the pupil a chance to try. When the skill is known, use a brief cue or resource before giving a more detailed explanation.

A practical example to adapt

If a pupil asks what to do next, pause and invite them to consult the task card. If that does not help, model the next step and ask them to carry it out rather than completing it for them.

Check whether it helps

Record the least support that enabled success and whether the pupil uses the strategy elsewhere. Keep an access aid that remains useful; reduce unnecessary adult intervention rather than all support.

If the difficulty remains substantial or the response is unclear, bring the observations and the pupil's perspective to the SENCo. Further advice is most useful when staff can explain the question they need answered and how the answer would change teaching or support.