The Graduated Approach

This is the support that all children should receive in school, whether or not they have SEND. It includes:

• High-quality teaching
• Reasonable adjustments (like seating arrangements or extra movement breaks)
• Targeted help (such as using visual aids or noise-cancelling headphones)

These are things schools do every day to help children learn and feel included. You might hear teachers talk about inclusive practice, that’s what this is.

If your child needs more help than what’s ordinarily available, the school will move to SEN Support. This involves a cycle called:

Assess – Plan – Do – Review

Here’s what that means:

• Assess: Teachers and the SENCO (Special Educational Needs Coordinator) look closely at your child’s needs.
• Plan: Together with you, they decide what support to put in place.
• Do: The support is delivered; this could be small group work, specialist resources, or extra adult help.
• Review: Everyone checks how well the support is working and what to do next.

This cycle can happen more than once and is tailored to your child’s progress. You’ll be involved at every step.

Most children’s needs are met through the first two stages. But if your child needs more specialist support, they might need an EHC plan.

An EHC plan is a legal document that sets out:

• Your child’s needs
• The support they must receive
• Long-term outcomes for their education, health and care

To get an EHC plan, the local authority carries out an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment. You, your child’s school, and other professionals will be involved in this process.