How to write an effective Individual Support Plan (ISP)

The support provided to each pupil with SEN should be recorded accurately, reflecting their needs, the outcomes sought, the support provided and any teaching strategies or approaches that are required.

SEND Code of Practice 2015, paragraph 6.49

Start with the child, not the paperwork

An Individual Support Plan is only as good as the understanding behind it. Before you pick up a pen or open a template, ask yourself: do we actually know this child well enough to write something that will make a real difference to them?

A plan built on genuine knowledge — of a child’s strengths, their starting points, what motivates them, what trips them up, and what the adults around them have already tried — is a working document. A plan built on assumption, or written to fill a box, is just paper.

The best plans start not with targets, but with questions:

• What can this child already do? What are their strengths?
• What is the gap between where they are and where we want to support them to get to?
• What is actually getting in the way — and have we looked at the situation, the skill, and the staffing?
• What does the family know that we don’t?

Assess before you plan

The SEND Code of Practice 2015 sets out a graduated approach: Assess, Plan, Do, Review — the APDR cycle. The plan is only step two. Assessment means looking at three things:

• The situation — what is actually happening, moment to moment? Not “he won’t engage,” but what happens in the minutes before, during, and after.
• The skill — what does the child need to be able to do, in order to succeed? Break it down. Which pieces are already in place, and which are still developing?
• The staffing — what knowledge and skill does the adult supporting this child already have? An adult can’t apply skills they haven’t yet had the chance to develop.

How the SEAH Individual Support Plan template works

The SEAH template is built around the APDR cycle, with each column matching one stage.

The header

Record the child’s name, date of birth, setting, Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator (SENCO) name, and family name(s). Record when the plan was written, the planned review date, and when it was shared with room and key staff. Both a parent/carer signature and a setting signature should appear on every plan.

Capturing My Voice

This section comes before the targets. Before the plan describes what a child needs support with, it should capture who they are — strengths, interests, what makes them happy. Write this in the child’s own words wherever possible: “What I’m good at, what I enjoy, and what makes me happy is…”

Assess — what can the child do now?

Write what the child can currently do — the starting point from which progress will be measured. Use descriptive, not interpretive, language.

Plan — writing the target

Targets follow the structure: “[Child’s name] will…” Every target also includes how the family can support it at home — consistency between home and setting is one of the biggest factors in whether a plan actually works.

A well-written target is:

• Specific — two different adults would both know whether it had been achieved
• Measurable — “on 3 out of 5 occasions” not “more often”
• Achievable — the next step, not a leap to the final destination
• Relevant — a genuine priority for this child, not a generic target
• Time-bound — linked to the review date

Most plans should have no more than three or four targets. More than that usually means the plan is trying to do everything at once, and nothing gets done well.

Do — the provision column

This column describes what the setting will put in place: the strategies, resources, frequency, and duration of support. Be specific.

Review — capturing voice and outcomes

The review column is completed at the review date. It should capture what actually happened, the child’s own voice, and the family’s view. A target not yet achieved is not a failure — it is information that informs the next plan.

Practical habits that make plans work

• Share it with everyone who works with the child — note the date on the header.
• Keep the language kind — families may read this document for years.
• Co-produce it, don’t present it — arrive with the blank template and fill it in together.
• Build in the review before you start — agree the date and how evidence will be gathered.

Key points at a glance

• “Capturing My Voice” starts with genuine strengths, in the child’s or family’s own words
• The Assess column is descriptive, not interpretive
• Targets are written as “[child’s name] will…” with a measurable outcome and a family support element
• The Do column describes specific strategies, resources, and frequency — not just “adult support”
• The family has been meaningfully involved in writing the plan — not just signing it
• Every adult working with this child has read it, and the date shared is recorded
• There is a clear review date and a plan for gathering evidence