SEN support plans: guidance and templates

What you include in a pupil's SEN support plan will depend on the purpose of the plan. Get help deciding what you need to cover and use our templates to help you develop a school-based plan.

Last reviewed on 6 October 2023
School types: AllSchool phases: AllRef: 31469
Contents
  1. Decide on the contents of the plan based on its purpose 
  2. Include a pupil-friendly summary as a cover page
  3. Record details of the provision in the body of the plan
  4. See example plans from local authorities (LAs)
  5. Share plans with relevant stakeholders

We provide guidance and templates to help you create a school-based special educational needs (SEN) support plan. The DfE recommends using school-based plans to support pupils in the special educational needs and disability (SEND) Code of Practice (paragraph 6.48).

You may know this plan as an individual education plan (IEP) instead. IEPs were recommended by the DfE in a previous version of the Code of Practice, but in the most recent version, the DfE has left it up to schools to decide which format they want to use. Check with your local authority (LA) to find out if it requires a specific format, as some LAs still use the term IEP.

To create your plan, you'll need to have first identified the provision your pupil needs and worked out the cost. Use our guidance on calculating the cost of provision to help you. 

There's no set format or