Graduated Approach

The graduated approach enables schools and settings to respond to every child’s strengths and needs through a continuous cycle of ‘Assess-Plan–Do–Review’. Children, young people and their families are central to this process so that decisions are informed by what matters most to them. This enables schools and settings to build a clear and evolving understanding of each learner’s needs, reviewing what is working and adapting support as circumstances change. By connecting high-quality teaching, targeted support and specialist guidance when required, the graduated approach promotes progress, belonging and equitable access to learning for all. 

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View the ‘Graduated Approach’ Parent Carer Guide

Expectations

The Assess–Plan–Do–Review cycle is understood by all staff and embedded in classroom practice and setting systems.

Assessment and review are used proportionately to understand needs, inform planning and ensure support leads to meaningful progress.

Children, young people and their families are involved at every stage so that decisions reflect what matters most to them.

Support plans are personalised, strengths-based and co-produced, identifying barriers to learning and setting clear, achievable outcomes.

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Staff draw on a graduated range of universal and targeted strategies to meet individual needs

Leaders make sure pupils receive effective support, consult with external specialists and implement their advice as necessary, and ensure that appropriate reasonable adjustments are made in accordance with the Equality Act 2010 and the SEND Code of Practice.

Schools and settings use learning from individual cases to strengthen practice over time and reduce barriers earlier for other children and young people.

Signposts and Support

School Age

  • Framework for Intervention (Revised) – Toolkit to help school-based teams to plan, record and evidence universal, targeted and specialist support for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.
  • Provision Mapping Tools – Tools that support schools and settings to plan, monitor and review provision across the Assess–Plan–Do–Review cycle, ensuring equity and impact.
  • MAP Meetings – Multi-agency planning meetings that prioritise, coordinate and review support for children and young people.
  • SEND Advisory & Inclusion Service (SAIS) – Professional advice, joint planning and training to support assessment, intervention and review within the graduated approach.
  • Speech and Language Therapy (NHS) – assessment, advice and intervention for speech, language and communication needs. Access is typically through school link therapists or referral pathways
  • Paediatric Occupational Therapy – Universal advice and support, including an advice line service, which supports with giving early help to families and professionals working with the child, as well as free downloadable resource packs and information.

Early Years

  • Two-year progress review 
  • A wide range of assessment strategies and tools are used to ensure a thorough understanding of children’s needs. 
  • Case studies may be used to demonstrate holistic progress. 
  • Have easy access to information about the child’s learning and additional needs, for example: planning documents, individual child’s profile, learning plans, data systems. 
  • Include a child’s individual targets into their teaching and adapt their monitoring, assessment, marking policies to take account of individual child’s need. 
  • Give children and young people regular opportunities to contribute to the setting of targets and the evaluation of their own progress

Assessment

  • Liaise with the family/ carer and gather information relating to the child. 
  • Discuss family engagement with any universal services e.g. health visitor or specialist services e.g. Speech and language therapist, physiotherapist 
  • Use routine observations and EYFS developmental assessment to identify delayed progress in relation to age related expectations. There should be involvement of the SENCO and more focused observations relating to the identified area of need. 
  • Carry out focused observation across a range of contexts including structured and unstructured times, indoors and outdoors. 
  • Keep a log and analyse patterns or trends to identify either internal or external triggers. Understand reasons for any patterns, taking into account the child’s views and wishes and those of parent carers. 
  • Monitor the impact of interventions, day to day, taking account of the child’s engagement and progress 
  • Monitor progress half termly/ termly (as appropriate), in partnership with the child, parent/carer, staff and any involved agencies. 
  • May seek a wider assessment of need through appropriate referrals to other agencies, this may include specialist advisory teams, Educational Psychology Service and/or health professionals such as community paediatrician and Speech & Language Therapy, OT or school nurse/Health Visitor. 

Planning

  • Plan for high quality teaching and learning in line with the EYFS and relevant supporting developmental journals. 
  • Plan additional time for more focused observation in any area of emerging concern or need. 
  • Use all information from observation and assessment to inform planning to meet individual needs through increased adaptation and differentiation. 
  • Take account of any assessment information from other involved professionals 
  • Planning details support in different contexts for the individual child in: 
  • Continuous provision 
  • Enhanced differentiation 
  • Targeted approaches 
  • Monitor the planning and delivery of adaptations and increased differentiation and amend plans based on the child’s response. 
  • Plan individually for the child through a SEN Support Plan, Enhanced One Page Profile, IEP/ IBP, SMART targets etc…, this follows an assess, plan do review cycle, and takes account of advice from outside agencies, if applicable. 
  • Identify training needs and access this to enable them to plan to increase adaptation and differentiation within high quality teaching and learning. 
  • Groupings or classroom dynamics – Staff should consider how they group children. It can be helpful to pair children with positive role models or children that they respect and like. This may mean working with children with different learning needs. Children’s personalities could also be considered when thinking about groupings, tasks, or group work.