The one planning process
There are four stages when creating a One Plan:
- assess
- plan
- do
- review
You might hear it referred to as the graduated approach.
Understanding your child’s needs (Assess)
In this part of the cycle, the setting develops a full picture of the child or young person’s needs. This will help inform the support that needs to be put in place. A formal diagnosis is not needed for one planning to be put in place.
The setting should gather information from a range of sources which might include:
- teacher assessments, observations and knowledge of the child or young person
- data on the child or young person’s progress, attainment, and behaviour
- the child or young person’s development in comparison with their peers
- the views and experiences of you as a parent
- the views and experiences of the child or young person
- advice from any external support services
You might have your own assessment reports you want to contribute to the process. You should be fully involved in the process from the beginning.
Deciding what will happen (Plan)
The planning phase describes who is going to do what, when and how often. It should detail the support your child will receive to help them meet their outcomes such as classroom strategies, individual support or small group activities.
It should:
- include any resources needed
- make clear any additional support activities that will be used and whether these will take place inside or outside of the classroom
- be agreed with you as the parent or carer
- be agreed with the child or young person
The plan should include any reasonable adjustments that are available for all students. Read more about reasonable adjustments on the government’s website.
Actions people need to take (Do)
All staff working with the child should have full knowledge of the one plan and the agreed support and be putting it in place.
If you do not feel that the support agreed is being carried out, speak to the educational setting. If you are still concerned, you can ask the setting for a review of the One Plan.
If your educational setting needs help, they can request support from their linked Inclusion and Psychology team. This team is made up of Educational Psychologists, Inclusion Partners and Engagement Facilitators. Find out more about help available in mainstream education.
Making sure it’s working (Review)
A review of the One Plan should happen at least once a term. You must be invited to attend and should be given plenty of notice. You should be given the opportunity to share your views in advance of the review meeting. Enough time should be allocated for the plan to be reviewed properly.
There are some good tools available on the Helen Sanderson website to reflect on what is working and what is not working.
If your child has an EHCP in place, this process should also be followed.
What happens at the meeting
The meeting should include:
-
the child or young person
-
the parent or carer
-
professionals who are involved with the child or young person’s support
-
a qualified member of teaching staff or practitioner from the educational setting who knows the child or young person well. It does not need to be the SENCO
You may wish to bring an advocate to the review meeting with you. This could be a friend.
It is a good idea to make notes during the meeting. At the meeting, clear outcomes and support should be agreed. It should be clear what support is in place, who is involved, how often it will take place and the expected impact. Remember, you do not have to agree to anything at the meeting. You can ask for reflection time.
If you are not happy with the outcome of the meeting, you should follow up with the school. You can ask for another meeting.