What is the graduated approach (assess, plan, do, review)?

The graduated approach is the four-part cycle (assess, plan, do, review) that mainstream schools in England must use to support pupils with SEN, refining support each cycle as understanding of the child's needs grows. It is the way schools deliver SEN Support, set out in the SEND Code of Practice 2015 (paragraphs 6.44 to 6.56). It applies to any pupil identified as having, or possibly having, special educational needs, whether or not they have a clinical diagnosis. SEN is identified by need, not by a diagnostic label.

The four stages

Each cycle runs through four stages, usually termly:

1. Assess. The class or subject teacher and the SENCO (special educational needs coordinator) work out the pupil's needs, drawing on assessment data, the teacher's knowledge, and the views of the parents and the child (paras 6.45 to 6.47).
2. Plan. The school agrees the support and the outcomes it expects, tells you formally what it is putting in place, and sets a clear date to review progress (paras 6.48 to 6.51).
3. Do. The support is delivered. The class or subject teacher stays responsible for the child day to day, even where a teaching assistant or specialist also works with them (para 6.52).
4. Review. The school checks progress against the agreed outcomes by the review date, then decides what to change for the next cycle (paras 6.53 to 6.55).

What the top results miss

Three points matter and are routinely left out. First, the statutory first response is not the cycle at all: it is high-quality teaching, adapted for the individual pupil, plus reasonable adjustments (para 6.37). The Code is explicit that extra intervention cannot make up for teaching that is not good enough. The graduated approach begins only when good teaching is not sufficient.

Second, accountability sits with the class or subject teacher, supported by the SENCO (paras 6.45 and 6.52), not with a teaching assistant or the SENCO alone. You should be told what is being put in place at the Plan stage and given a review date. If support feels vague, undated, or not written down, that is a sign the cycle is not being run properly.

Third, the graduated approach is the SEN Support stage that comes before any EHC needs assessment, and it sits at the heart of what a school must do for a child with SEN but no EHCP. A documented, reviewed assess-plan-do-review record is the evidence trail that supports a request for an Education, Health and Care plan (EHCP) if SEN Support is not meeting the child's needs. Schools must also use their best endeavours to secure the provision a child with SEN requires (section 66, Children and Families Act 2014), and publish how they run the cycle in their SEN Information Report (Regulation 51, SEND Regulations 2014).

Looking ahead, the 2026 Schools White Paper proposes a new duty for every school to create an Individual Support Plan for each child with SEND. That is a proposal, not current law, and no changes to the support given by EHCPs would begin before September 2030.

This page is general information, not clinical or legal advice.