School Support Plus Plan Example
A fictional School Support Plus target worked through from baseline and strategies to evidence, review and the next decision.
A worked example can help a school team see how observations, targets, strategies and review evidence fit together. It should not be copied into a student's file simply because the student shares a diagnosis or difficulty. The example below is fictional and deliberately narrow. Its purpose is to illustrate the writing process, not to decide whether a particular student needs School Support Plus.
For the official materials, use the Department of Education's SET guidance, Student Support File examples and templates. The collection includes School Support Plus planning and review templates. Select the relevant school context and read the guidance alongside the template. This article is an independent practical example.
The fictional starting point
Consider a student who enjoys practical activities and contributes confidently during familiar discussions, but finds transitions into independent classroom work difficult. The team has gathered observations across several lessons. The student says that knowing the first step helps. A parent reports that a short, predictable checklist is useful when beginning familiar activities at home.
The school team's existing assessment and planning process has identified a need for a more individualised response. This example does not prescribe hours, staffing or professional involvement. Those arrangements depend on the student's circumstances and the school's process. The planning task here is to turn a clearly identified priority into an agreed action that staff can implement and review.
Record a baseline before choosing the target
Across five comparable classroom opportunities, the student begins the agreed first step within three minutes on one occasion. On the remaining occasions, an adult repeats the instruction or helps the student identify where to begin. The record also notes that the task was familiar and that the student could explain it after a brief individual check.
That baseline provides context for the target. It does not imply that the same difficulty occurs in every subject or setting. The team should retain examples of successful participation as well as difficulties. If some lessons work well, ask what differs: the task, the instructions, the environment, the relationship or the support already in place.
Write one clear target
For this fictional plan, the target is: “Over the next six weeks, following the agreed transition cue and using a two-step visual checklist, the student will begin the first step of a familiar independent task within three minutes in four of five observed opportunities.” The review period and success criterion are illustrative choices, not national requirements.
The target names both the expected action and the support that remains available. It does not demand unsupported independence. Before agreeing it, the team should ask whether this change matters to the student's participation and whether it is realistic from the starting point. If not, adjust the step or the conditions rather than retaining a target only because it sounds measurable.
Specify what staff will do
The classroom teacher gives the agreed transition cue, presents the checklist and checks understanding of the first step. The staff member coordinating the plan prepares the checklist with the student and gathers feedback about whether its wording and format are useful. Colleagues agree a consistent definition of “begins” so that observations can be compared.
Keep the strategy practical enough to use during an ordinary lesson. If it depends on materials or preparation, identify who supplies them. If the student finds the checklist unhelpful or uncomfortable, record that feedback and discuss an alternative. The purpose is to support participation, not to make the student comply with a tool that does not meet the need.
Decide what evidence to collect
A brief record can include the date, the opportunity, whether the planned supports were available, whether the first step began within the agreed time, and any relevant note. Staff need not write a long narrative after every lesson. Collect enough comparable evidence to support a decision while keeping the recording demand manageable.
Add the student's perspective at an appropriate point: did the routine make the transition clearer, and which part helped? Invite relevant parent feedback without assuming that classroom progress will look identical at home. Keep those different contexts visible rather than averaging them into a single score that hides what is happening.
Review progress and decide the next step
Imagine that the later observations show three successful starts in five opportunities. The target has not yet been reached, but the record shows progress from the starting point. The team also notices that the checklist was unavailable on one occasion. A useful review considers both the outcome and how consistently the support was provided.
Possible next actions include continuing the strategy for an agreed period, adjusting the checklist, changing the observation context or revising the target. Record the reasoning and the new review arrangement. Do not automatically describe the intervention as ineffective or the target as achieved. The evidence should determine the decision.
Keep the example connected to the wider file
A complete student's plan may address other priorities, relationships and supports. This example covers one target only. Keep the agreed plan, contributions, review record and next decisions connected within the wider Student Support File so that a colleague can understand the sequence.
SENScribe brings plans, caseloads, SMART targets, collaboration and reviews into one workflow. Apply for a personal 14-day trial; applications are reviewed and approved applicants receive next steps by email. Read more about School Support and School Support Plus, the Continuum of Support, and SMART targets.