New Targeted and Targeted Plus support that is written into law
The introduction of Individual Support Plans (ISPs) represents a genuine opportunity to reduce the bureaucratic burden that schools face by creating a template that will be used across all schools.
If every school works from a consistent template, transitions should be more seamless – whether a child is moving from primary to secondary or between any year groups within the same school.
Q16. How can we ensure Individual Support Plans are clear, concise and practical for professionals to use?
Currently, there are many disparate systems and ways of working that can be confusing, with schools effectively reinventing the wheel each time. Standardisation and digitisation (though the precise form this will take remains unclear) can only be beneficial and will reduce workload, provided there is a well-designed template for schools to use.
In terms of content, the template should comprise a single-page summary at the front so staff can understand a child’s needs and key supportive strategies at a glance. The broader document should include barriers to learning, presenting or assessed needs, reasonable adjustments and provisions required, expected outcomes, review cycles and options for parents to submit their own views.
However, we urge the government to be mindful of scope creep. There is a risk that the ISP could become a very long and detailed document, resulting in schools having to recreate an EHCP-type document but for a much larger cohort of pupils. Balance is therefore important: the ISP must set out everything a parent and school needs to know without becoming overburdensome in its own right.
We also draw attention to the forthcoming National Inclusion Standards, due to be released in 2028. These are fundamental as they will inform a school what it must provide according to the level of need for each child, and the ISP template should be designed with those standards in mind.
Preparing for change
As ISPs and the National Inclusion Standards reshape how schools support pupils with SEND, having the right resources in place matters. View expert guidance in our SEND support pack for schools to help your team prepare.
Contact
Philip Wood
Partner
philip.wood@brownejacobson.com
+44 (0)330 045 2274
Hayley O'Sullivan
Principal Associate
hayley.o'sullivan@brownejacobson.com
+44 (0)121 237 3994
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