Universal, Targeted, and Specialist
Support for pupils with SEND can be provided at different levels:
- Universal: provision for all children, regardless of need (high quality teaching, adaptive teaching, reasonable adjustments)
- Targeted: additional support for children and young people who need ‘a bit more’ than universal (often short-term or specific interventions)
- Specialist: highly individualised provision, usually involving specialist professionals (e.g. Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Specialist Teachers)
SEN Support
‘SEN Support’ describes the additional help provided for children and young people with special educational needs that goes beyond what is offered through Universal Support.
SEN Support can include both Targeted Support (such as small group interventions or additional adult assistance) and Specialist Support (for example, highly individualised interventions or direct involvement from external professionals).
If a child or young person’s needs cannot reasonably be met through SEN Support using the school’s own resources, an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) may be required to secure further support.
Universal support
Universal support may be delivered through whole-class teaching, small group activities, or individual tasks. The foundation of universal support lies in the application of high-quality teaching, tailored to the needs of each pupil. This approach is recognised as the initial and most essential step in addressing the requirements of pupils with SEND.
Additional interventions and support cannot make up for the absence of good quality teaching; the effectiveness of any targeted or specialist provision is dependent upon the quality of universal teaching that precedes it (DfE, 2015, p. 99). Delivering high-quality teaching adapted for individual pupils means that schools can reduce the likelihood of them needing more intensive support.
Quality First Teaching
Quality First Teaching is defined as high quality, inclusive teaching provided for all pupils within a classroom setting. This form of support is implemented by class teachers and learning support staff, aiming to meet the needs of every pupil.
Adaptive Teaching
Adaptive teaching broadens the accessibility of lessons, focusing on the whole class while ensuring that all pupils can attain desired learning outcomes. This approach begins with a clear understanding of each child’s current position in their learning. Adaptive teaching incorporates the ‘Five-a-day’ strategies: explicit instruction, metacognition, scaffolding, flexible groupings, and the integration of technology. Together, these methods support all learners and help to remove barriers to achievement.
Targeted Support (SEN Support)
If a child needs more help than is usually provided, schools can offer targeted support, sometimes with advice from specialists. Targeted support (often known in schools as SEN support) is typically implemented either in small groups or through one-to-one interventions.
SEN Support is targeted support aimed at meeting an individual learner’s specific needs. Intervention may include group work or individual support. Strategies may be discussed in consultation with external professionals such as Educational Psychologists, Autism Specialist Teachers, Children's Sensory Team, Occupational Therapists or Speech and Language Therapists as required.
Children and young people whose needs are addressed via SEN support should have their progress monitored by a system of Assess, Plan, Do, Review (APDR) to ensure the effectiveness of the provision received.
The SEND Code of Practice identifies four broad areas of need:
- Communication and Interaction
- Cognition and Learning
- Social Emotional and Mental Health and
- Sensory and/or Physical needs
Specialist Support (SEN Support)
If a child or young person’s needs are highly individualised and cannot be fully met through Universal or Targeted Support, schools may provide Specialist Support. This level of provision is characterised by:
- Highly personalised approaches tailored to the unique needs of the learner.
- Direct involvement of specialist professionals, such as Educational Psychologists, Speech and Language Therapists, Occupational Therapists, Autism Specialist Teachers, Childrens Sensory Team, or other external agencies.
- Specialist assessment, advice, and intervention that goes beyond what is typically available in the school’s own resources.
- Close collaboration between school staff, families, and external professionals to plan, deliver, and review support.
- Individualised programmes that may include bespoke resources, specialist equipment, or highly adapted teaching methods.
Specialist Support does not always require an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. Many children and young people access specialist input as part of their SEN Support, without the need for statutory assessment. The key distinction is the level of personalisation and the involvement of external expertise.
Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan
If a child or young person’s needs cannot reasonably be met through SEN Support using the school’s own resources, an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) may be required to secure further support:
Most children and young people with SEN or disabilities can have their needs met within local mainstream early years providers, schools, or colleges, utilising resources typically available to these settings.
A request for an Education Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment should be pursued only when the special educational provision required to meet the child's needs cannot reasonably be provided using the resources typically available.
Schools will need to demonstrate that the pupils for whom they are requesting assessment have needs that require provision significantly beyond the descriptors for ordinarily available provision and which cannot be met from resources allocated as part of the mainstream schools’ delegated budget.
For further information, see SEND Local Offer: Education, Health and Care Plans