SEND support plans
What are SEND Support plans
Every learner is unique - and their education should be too. A SEND Support plan is more than just a document; it’s a powerful, personalised roadmap designed to help children and young people with additional needs thrive, succeed, and feel confident in their learning journey.
The plan brings together teachers, support staff, and families to clearly set out a student’s strengths, challenges, and the tailored strategies that will help them reach their full potential. It turns understanding into action - transforming goals into achievable steps, and making sure no learner is left behind.
Whether it’s boosting confidence in reading, supporting emotional wellbeing, or developing independence, a plan places the child, or young person at the centre, celebrating progress every step of the way.
Within the SEND Code of Practice (2015), SEND Support Plans are key tools used to ensure that children and young people with special educational needs receive the right help at the right time.
Rather than focusing on a fixed format, these plans form part of a flexible, graduated approach - assess, plan, do, review - that places the learner at the centre.
A SEND Support Plan clearly sets out:
- a child’s or young person's needs
- the outcomes being worked towards
- the tailored strategies and provision required to support their progress
Importantly, it is developed collaboratively with parents, carers, and the child or young person, to make sure that support is meaningful, responsive, and focused on improving outcomes in a practical and measurable way.
There are several alternative names used instead of the term SEND Support Plan across our BCP schools, reflecting slightly different emphases.
Individual Learning Plan (ILP) and Personalised Learning Plan (PLP)
These focus on overall learning and a child or young person-centred approach.
Individual Support Plan (ISP)
This highlights the specific support and provision in place.
Provision Map (individual section)
Some schools use this to show targeted support within a wider overview.
Learning Support Plan
Others prefer this simpler term to make the purpose clearer and more accessible.
A SEND Support Plan should be used when a child or young person has identified as special educational needs (SEN) and requires support that is additional to, or different from the high-quality teaching normally provided in the classroom.
This typically applies when a learner is not making expected progress, despite appropriate teaching strategies already being in place. At this stage, the school moves into SEND Support, using a structured plan to clearly outline the child’s needs, the outcomes being targeted, and the specific provision required.
SEND Support Plans are also used when:
- a child, or young person has ongoing or emerging needs in areas such as cognition and learning, communication, social and emotional development, or physical and sensory needs
- targeted interventions or adjustments are needed to help the child or young person access learning
- progress needs to be closely monitored through the assess–plan–do–review cycle
Collaboration with parents, carers, and (where appropriate) the child, or young person is essential to plan effective support.
A SEND Support Plan is created through a structured, collaborative process based on the graduated approach: assess, plan, do, review. This ensures support is carefully tailored and regularly evaluated.
For more information on the assess, plan, do, review process visit our homepage.
A SEND Support Plan should clearly set out all the key information needed to support a child or young person effectively. It needs to be practical, focused, and easy to use, to make sure everyone involved understands the support in place.
Step 1
The child or young person’s profile
This includes:
- strengths, interests, and what motivates them
- their views and voice (where appropriate)
- important background information
Step 2
Identified needs
Clear description of needs, linked to the four areas of need (if appropriate):
- cognition and learning
- communication and interaction
- social, emotional, and mental health
- physical and sensory
Step 3
Outcomes (targets)
Specific, measurable outcomes the child or young person is working towards which are:
- focused on what the child will be able to do
- usually reviewed termly
Step 4
Support and Provision
Teaching strategies and approaches to include:
- interventions or programmes
- adaptations to the environment or curriculum
- resources required
Step 5
Roles and responsibilities
Who will deliver the support (teacher, TA, specialist) this should also:
- include the frequency and duration of support
- clarify accountability
Step 6
Parent and carer involvement
To consider:
- how families will be involved
- strategies that can be used at home (if appropriate)
Step 7
Review arrangements
When the plan will be reviewed to include:
- how progress will be measured
- space to record impact and next steps
How to make an effective support plan
An effective SEND Support Plan should be clear, specific, and centred on the individual child, or young person to make sure it supports progress rather than simply recording information.
You should consider the following points when creating a plan:
- It should clearly describe the child’s or young person's needs using precise language and set focused, measurable outcomes that reflect what the child will be able to achieve within a realistic timeframe.
- Strategies and provision outlined in the plan must be practical and actionable, enabling staff to confidently apply them in everyday teaching.
- Work collaboratively with input from teachers, parents or carers, the child, or young person, and with advice from external professionals, to develop strong plans.
- Review plans regularly as part of the assess–plan–do–review cycle, using assessment information and evidence-informed approaches to refine support.
Above all, an effective SEND Support Plan is child, or young person-centred, building on strengths, promoting independence, and ensuring the learner remains at the heart of all decisions.
Resources - SEND Support Plan templates
Further resources
Explore these links for additional guidance and practical tools to support effective SEND planning.
They offer helpful advice on developing high-quality support plans and strengthening the assess–plan–do–review process, ensuring provision is person-centred, responsive, and focused on achieving meaningful outcomes.