Ordinarily available provision and the graduated approach

All early years settings, schools and colleges must support children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This everyday support is called ordinarily available provision (OAP). This support should be in place for all children and young people, whether or not they have a diagnosis or SEND.

Every setting has a legal duty to:

  • identify and respond to needs early
  • work in partnership with families
  • remove barriers to learning

This helps every child get a full and meaningful education. It includes adapting teaching approaches, making reasonable adjustments, and creating inclusive spaces where children and young people feel safe, supported, and able to thrive.

In Walsall, we have clear guidance on what this support should look like. It includes practical strategies, examples and tools so that all settings can give consistent, high-quality support. This means that most children with SEND should have their needs met in their local setting without needing an education, health and care plan (EHCP).

If a child needs more targeted help, the setting should use the graduated approach (GA). This is a flexible cycle that helps staff to:

  1. understand what the child needs
  2. take action
  3. check what’s working

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Assess, plan, do, review (APDR)

The graduated approach uses a four-part cycle to help settings to give the right help at the right time. The child or young person is always at the centre of all discussions and planning.

Assess

The setting collects information to understand the child’s strengths, needs, and barriers to learning. This may include:

  • classroom observations
  • assessments
  • talking to parents or carers
  • listening to the child or young person’s views
  • asking other professionals for advice

Plan

Based on the assessment, a SEN support plan is made in partnership with the child and their family. It includes:

  • agreed outcomes
  • what support or strategies to use
  • who will deliver the support
  • how progress will be measured

The plan is individual and focusses on what matters to the child or young person, which is clearly recorded.

Do

The support is put in place. Everyone involved with the child or young person should:

  • understand their needs
  • use the agreed strategies consistently

The support should:

  • be flexible
  • build on strengths
  • help the child become more independent

It should be monitored regularly to see how things are going.

Review

The plan is regularly reviewed and updated at least three times a year to see:

  • how things are progressing
  • what’s working and what’s not
  • what needs to change

The review actively involves parents/carers. The child or young person should be supported to share their views in a way that works for them.

This cycle continues as long as needed. Most children make progress when support is timely, well planned, and done in partnership with families.

Getting the right support

Children and young people need different types of support, depending on their individual needs. This might include:

  • adapting tasks or instructions
  • using visual resources
  • breaking learning into smaller steps
  • giving extra time to think
  • providing adult help at key times
  • creating a calm and structured learning environment

Settings must make reasonable adjustments so everyone can take part fully in school life.

If a child is still having significant difficulties after this, their school or setting can ask for guidance and strategies to strengthen the SEN support plan further. This may include gaining advice from:

  • educational psychologists
  • advisory teachers
  • therapists

Support should always be planned and reviewed with the child and their family. This is called a person-centred approach. It’s more than focussing on just their needs - it means:

  • putting the child or young person’s voice at the heart of every conversation
  • listening to the child’s views and aspirations
  • focusing on their strengths and goals
  • helping them feel confident and valued

We want every child to get the right help, at the right time, in the right place.

If you’re worried about your child’s progress or development, speak to:

  • their teacher/form tutor
  • the school’s SENCo (special educational needs co-ordinator)

The SENCo leads the support and makes sure everyone understands their role in helping your child or young person to thrive.